“Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek announced on Wednesday that he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer this week.
The host shared the news in a video posted to the show’s YouTube page and Twitter account, saying he wanted to prevent fans from hearing inaccurate or overblown reports regarding his health.
“Just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer,” Trebek said. “Now, normally the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this, and I’m going to keep working, 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.”
Trebek added that he’s under contract to host “Jeopardy!” for three more years. His contract runs through 2022. He’s been at the helm of the show since 1984, and won a Guinness World Record in 2014 for “the most episodes ever hosted by the same presenter.”
“So help me,” he added, “keep the faith, and we’ll win. We’ll get it done.”
Trebek took a quick break from hosting the program in 2018 after undergoing surgery to remove blood clots on his brain. The subdural hematoma was caused by a fall Trebek had endured two months prior. He was back in the studio recording mere weeks after the procedure.
Following Trebek’s cancer diagnosis announcement, messages of support poured in from fans and friends on Twitter.