“Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek is sharing more intimate details than ever about his cancer diagnosis, from his plans for new treatment to his gratitude for the outpouring of support he has received.
Resilient and optimistic as ever, the host, who spoke with “20/20 in a prime-time special that airs Jan. 2, said, "We may try a new protocol…a different chemo or something in the trial stage that is not chemotherapy. I don't mind experimenting. I've got nothing to lose, so let's go for it.”
Read More"Throughout my life, I've always wondered about how courageous a human being I was," Trebek says in the interview, according to “GMA.” "Does that mean I'm courageous because I'm dealing with it? No. I could be scared to death and I'd still have to deal with it."
He also talks more about his supporters, such as "Jeopardy!" contestant Dhruv Gaur, who didn't technically win a Tournament of Champions game in November, but pretty much won the night. In the game's final round, Gaur, who didn't know the answer, instead wrote on his screen, "We [heart] you Alex!" which caused Trebek to well up with tears.
"People all over … have decided they want to let me know now, while I'm alive, about the impact that I've been having on their existence,” he says “And my gosh, it makes me feel so good.”
As for his leaving the show, “GMA” reports, he says he’s already rehearsed it: “What I would do on that day is tell the director, 'Time the show down to leave me 30 seconds at the end. That's all I want.' And I will say my goodbyes.”
Alex Trebek’s Cancer Journey
The inspiring host, 79, who has been at the helm of the game show since 1984, was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in March 2019. And true to form he shared his news publicly — and with humor, to boot:
After initially being optimistic about his chemotherapy treatment, in September Trebek reported that he needed to undergo more because his "numbers went sky-high."
RELATED: The Amazing Strength of Alex Trebek: A Look Back at the Cancer Survivor’s Jam-Packed 2019.
Trebek's advanced stage of pancreatic cancer has only a 3% five-year survival rate, which means that only 3 % of people diagnosed end up living five years. But with most stage 4 pancreatic cancer patients living only 3-6 months after finding their cancer, Trebek has been beating the odds.
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