Alex Trebek says he's 'hanging in' there during new round of chemotherapy
OTTAWA, Canada -- Alex Trebek plans to "play it by ear and keep chunking along until we either win or lose" as he undergoes another round of chemotherapy in his fight against stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
Speaking to Canada's CTV television network this week, the 79-year-old "Jeopardy!" host added that he is "hanging in" and said the latest round of chemotherapy is "in some ways...easier" because he now has a better idea of what to expect.
"Now I know the day after chemo, my eyesight gets messed up a little. The next day after that, I start getting pains in my joints," Trebek, an Ontario native, told CTV chief anchor Lisa LaFlamme.
Ahead of the season premiere of "Jeopardy!" in September, Trebek announced that he had "gone through a lot of chemotherapy" but was "on the mend." He indicated that his chemotherapy treatments were over and his current condition was "all I can hope for right now." But weeks later, he told ABC's "Good Morning America" his "numbers shot up" and doctors had ordered him back on the treatment.
"We'll see if the numbers go down. If they do...they can't keep doing it forever, of course. I'll have to find a new protocol or whatever to administer," Trebek told the CTV this week.
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in America, according to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, afflicting an estimated 50,000 Americans each year. Depending on how advanced the cancer is, treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. The stage 4 designation indicates that the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
Trebek has served as the face of "Jeopardy!" since it made its debut in daytime syndication in 1984. With around 8,000 episodes under his belt, he holds the Guinness World Record for Most Game Show Episodes Hosted by the Same Presenter.
Trebek underwent surgery to remove blood clots on his brain in December 2017 but resumed taping new episodes of "Jeopardy!" the next month. He said at the time that he had been diagnosed with subdural hematoma attributed to a fall he suffered earlier in the year.
The only time somebody other than Trebek has hosted an episode of this iteration of "Jeopardy!" was when Trebek and "Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak swapped shows for an April Fool's prank.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
