OT: Alex Trebek has pancreatic cancer
Jeopardy! had a message from Alex Trebek stating that he has stage 4 pancreatic cancer (LINK). That's terrible news. I feel bad for the guy and his family. I don't even know how long he's been on Jeopardy! (I'm sure I will find out with a quick Google search right after this), but it's been as long as I can remember.
I sure hope he can pull through.
My Dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a few months before I was married.
Because of innovative treatment he received at U Mich Hospital, he lived for over 5 years post-diagnosis. It was long enough to have held all three of my children. Only my oldest child who is now 18 remembers my dad.
Cancer is a thief.
What is a type of cancer noone recovers from?
Please defy the odds Mr Trebek!
This is what took out Swayze too. Rough. We'll always have "She's Like the Wind."
And Road House.
Patrick Swayze and Steve Jobs.
Stage 4, I'm worried for Alex. Love him.
Ultimate user name fail.
I truly wish the best for Alex.
Those of us who grew up on the *original* Jeopardy pine for the good old days when lots of contestants couldn't make it to Final and often the consolation prizes (usually a year's supply of Rice-A-Roni) were almost worth more than what the winner took down. Art Fleming was great. I grew up on that show and the home edition, of which we had at least 5.
When I was in 2nd grade I would sometimes come home for lunch so I could watch Jeopardy while eating.
There are some celebrities who are timeless and you don't think about them ever leaving this earth. Trebek is one of them. I hope treatment goes well for him and I pray for him and his family
"Now normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this, and I’m going to keep working," he said. "And with the love and support of my family and friends and with the help of your prayers also, I plan to beat the low survival rate statistics for this disease."
Godspeed Alex. We are all pulling for you.
This is awful news... Trebek is a legend....he seems like the last bastion of decency on television. I am rooting for him, truly....
My cousin beat pancreatic cancer and had been cancer free for almost 2 years. He eventually went back to work and an everyday normal life, only to tragically die of an unexpected heart attack last year.
He was back to full strength and his normal pre-cancer self and I even went water skiing with him the day before he unexpectedly passed. I am still having a hard time with it and I sure do miss him. I can still see him at full strength the day before he passed cutting through the water while water skiing. The only thing I can think is that the intense chemo treatments took its toll on his heart.
Sometimes life just does not make any sense.
sorry, man....
My cousin had cancer throughout his chest in the early 70's the treatment then was high doses of radiation. Eventually, at an all too young age in his 40's his heart gave out from the damage done from the radiation treatments that saved his life at 10.
My father was diagnosed with melanoma in 1987, surgery removed a significant chunk of his upper back. For 20 years he went back to UM hospitals for follow ups and continued screening. Never once had an issue including his final UM screening in summer 2005. In late 2005 a weird incident at home led him to a hospital check where they saw a shadow on his brain. Later tests and surgery revealed several tumors in his brain.. He underwent an "experitmental" set of treatments with high dosage of radiation and passed within 2 weeks of the treatment.
As much as we think we know about how to treat cancer, we really do not.
Pancreatic cancer is pretty much the worst form of cancer. I hope he can find a miracle.
I bet Sean Connery feels like an absolute ass now.
Fuck cancer.
Darrell Hammond?
Pancreatic cancer is bad enough on its own. Stage four pancreatic cancer is essentially a death sentence.
I know he’ll get the best doctors money can buy, so if anyone can pull through it’ll be him. But with a diagnosis like this, the odds of that are slim to nil. Even the best cases involve people not living much past five years.
Hope he can pull through, though. But even if he passed tomorrow, he’s led a damn good and very interesting life.
My maternal grandmother died from pancreatic cancer. As others have said, fuck cancer.
Fight it, Alex, as best you can. I grew up a huge "Jeopardy!" fan and I still watch even now.
This is very sad. Trebek is terrific. He says he'll keep working, but the chances of him continuing for long are small. I hope he gets a proper send-off if/when he has to leave the show.
Thanks for brightening my day. I'm sure I wouldn't have seen this anywhere else...you know, like an actual news site. You might get some internet points for being "the first to know" so good job.
Fuck cancer.
And you.
Fuck you too.
What is, "Fuck cancer"? Hope he hits the Daily Double of cancer remission.
My mother-in-law was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer a week and a half ago. It’s inoperable and she’s debating if she should do the chemo or not. We’re thinking she’s got 3-6 months based on what we’ve read. My wife is a mess.
Someone mentioned earlier today that Trebek is a lot like Walter Cronkite or Johnny Carson was to America for so many years: this reassuring voice you hear every evening that you can always count on. He gives my weekday evenings consistency and ritual. Jeopardy is actually the only show I ever rush back home to see, even still. When I miss it, I'm grumpy.
Crap, crap, crap.
GOD bless!
Fight on, Alex.
And thanks.
I lost my dad last year to Sarcoma cancer. Sarcoma basically has the same prognosis as pancreatic, i.e. not very long. Dad was diagnosed in late April and passed on July 3rd. Worst part is my son was born in early June. Thankful that dad got to hold him but breaks my heart that my boy wont get to grow up playing ball or watching Michigan sports with grandpa. Miss him every day.
I have two good friends battling cancer right now, one with a rare form of leukemia and the other with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The friend with leukemia has been having treatments for three years and it has been truly horrible, especially the last six months. Several very close calls with death but he's managed to rebound. My heart goes out to anyone either with the disease or with family members afflicted. Horrible fu**ing disease.
Grandmother just received news this week that she beat colon cancer. Moved out of my first apartment to live the last 3 years with her at her house and care for her. Kinda put my social life on hold for the last three years of my younger life but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
That being said, miracles can happen, and I hope happens for Alex. Loved watching Jeopardy with my dad every night growing up, moments I will remember forever.
As an oncologist, just wanted to help put things in context. Pancreatic cancer (usually adenocarcinoma) is usually detected after it has spread, which is what makes it incurable. Surgical resection is the only chance at cure. Even then, pancreatic cancer often comes back, despite after-surgery chemo to reduce that risk. For the most part, once solid tumors (e.g. NOT blood cancers) spread, patients can get treatments to control the disease, and hopefully prolong their lives. A small percentage (in the single digits) can have prolonged control of the disease for years. Hope Alex is one of those people! Thoughts and prayers for him and all suffering from this terrible disease.
My brother had and beat stage 4 lung cancer. The day he went into the hospital for his final surgery (removal of one dead part of one of his lungs) his wife had a massive headache. She was at the hospital for my brother so she decided to get herself checked out while she was there. Yes, brain tumor. She was dead almost 12 months to the day she was diagnosed.
Really messed up for my brother, but he's always had an upbeat outlook on life.
What is, a bummer?
Not fond of jokes about cancer.
Prayers for Alex and his family. Beat Cancer!
Good Luck Alex.
just awful news