“Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek has announced a setback in his battle with pancreatic cancer, saying he is undergoing a second round of chemotherapy.
“One of the things I have learned in the past six months is that the course of pancreatic cancer treatment is not a straightforward affair,” Trebek said in an update on YouTube. “There are always curves and unexpected events.”
After first revealing his diagnosis of Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in March, Trebek’s initial results from chemotherapy had been “mind-boggling” according to doctors. In late May, they said Trebek was in near remission.
Later in the summer, Trebek said he had completed chemo and was back at work filming season 36 of Jeopardy! That was until a recent setback.
“This summer, because I was making such good progress, we thought I was finished with chemo,” Trebek said. “That was a bit premature and certainly overoptimistic. I began immunotherapy, but that didn’t go well. My numbers went south – dramatically and quickly.”
Trebek appeared on “Good Morning America” Tuesday, saying the chemo has taken a toll on his body and sometimes caused “excruciating pain” in his lower back along with some fatigue and nausea.
“The doctors are now reexamining my situation, and it appears I will be having more chemo treatments ahead of me,” Trebek said. “Hey, they worked very well the first time, so we’re expecting good results again.”
Despite the setback, Trebek told ABC he is still enjoying life and plans to continue hosting Jeopardy! as long as he is able to do so.
“Please keep me in your good thoughts and prayers. It really means a lot.”
