Nicky Trebek Remembers Her Dad
- Nicky Trebek, 55, remembers the two-year anniversary of her dad’s cancer diagnosis in a heartfelt Instagram post.
- Alex Trebek passed away at 80 last November after a battle with stage four pancreatic cancer; his transparency led to increased awareness and understanding of the disease.
- Losing a parent to cancer is a difficult process that can be made easier by working with a trained therapist.
Related: Colon Cancer: Overview
Read More
View this post on Instagram
Alex’s Pancreatic Cancer Journey
Trebek was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2019 and valiantly fought his disease on the public stage. The host shared with viewers in March 2019 that he had been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer, which is a particularly aggressive cancer. Trebek’s transparency around his disease was admirable, and it led to an increased awareness of pancreatic cancer, which was dubbed “The Trebek Effect.”
Related: Alex Trebek Hosts His Final 'Jeopardy!' In What Is Sure to Be an Emotional Watch; Trebek Died of Pancreatic Cancer in November
Trebek underwent chemotherapy to treat his disease. Pancreatic cancer is typically treated through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Dr. Anirban Maitra, the Co-Leader of the Pancreatic Cancer Moon Shot at MD Anderson Cancer Center, says in an earlier interview, "So the pancreas is an organ in your belly. And this is where pancreatic cancer arises. Because the pancreas is inside the abdomen, it often doesn't have symptoms that would tell you that something is wrong with your pancreas. By the time individuals walk into the clinic with symptoms like jaundice, weight loss, back pain, or diabetes, it's often very late in the stage of the disease."
Dr. Maitra says that pancreatic cancer is a particularly aggressive disease. "Each year in the United States, about 53,000 patients get pancreatic cancer. And unfortunately, most will die from this disease within a few months to a year or so from the diagnosis,” says Dr. Maitra. “And the reason for that is that most individuals, about 80%, will actually present with what we called advanced disease, which means that the cancer has either spread beyond the pancreas or into other organs like the liver, and so you cannot take it out with surgeries. Only about 20% of individuals will actually be candidates for surgery."
Detecting Pancreatic Cancer Early Is Crucial
Coping with Parental Cancer Loss
Losing a parent to cancer can be devastating, as Nicky Trebek knows. Thankfully, there are tools available, such as therapy, support groups and more, to help make the loss easier to bear. Many people find comfort in talking to an experienced therapist, who can help sort through the difficult emotions that come up after losing a loved one, like a parent, to cancer.
Related: A Major Step in the Cancer Journey: Learning to Deal With Vulnerability
Camila Legaspi was in high school when she lost her mother to breast cancer, and she found solace in talking to a therapist after her loss. Legaspi says in an earlier interview, “Therapy saved my life. I was dealing with some really intense anxiety and depression at that point. It just changed my life, because I was so drained by all the negativity that was going on.”
Related: 'I Wanted to Keep Things with My Kids as Normal as Possible' Lisa Schaible Survivor Story
“Going to a therapist helped me realize that there was still so much out there for me, that I still had my family, that I still had my siblings,” she says. “The reality is, is when you lose someone, it’s really, really, really hard. And it’s totally OK to talk to someone. And I’m so happy that I talked to my therapist. Keep your chin up, and it’s going to be OK. No matter what happens, it’s going to be OK. There are so many of us that have gone through the same thing that you’re going through. And, together, we’re all going to get through it.”
"Therapy Saved My Life": After Losing A Loved One, Don't Be Afraid To Ask For Help
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
