'Jeopardy!' Host Alex Trebek Says He's In 'Near Remission' From Pancreatic Cancer
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Less than three months after announcing that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek provided a heartening update on his condition this week.
The 78-year-old Trebek told People magazine this week that his cancer has responded "very well to chemotherapy" and his doctors told him he's in "near remission."
"The doctors said they hadn't seen this kind of positive result in their memory…some of the tumors have already shrunk by more than 50 percent," Trebek told the magazine.
Despite the positive progress, Trebek says he must still undergo several more rounds of chemotherapy before he gets to full remission.
Trebek first disclosed March 6 that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but vowed to fight the disease and keep working throughout his treatment.
"Truth told, I have to, because under the terms of my contract, I have to host `Jeopardy!' for three more years," he joked at the time. "So help me. Keep the faith and we'll win. We'll get it done. Thank you."
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most-aggressive cancers and one with one of the lowest survival rates. According to numbers from the American Cancer Society, the 5-year relative survival rate for pancreatic cancer is 9 percent.
The cancer claimed the lives of such celebrities as Aretha Franklin, Patrick Swayze, Steve Jobs, Donna Reed and Michael Landon.
Trebek, a native of Canada, has hosted the popular trivia game show since 1984. His other hosting credits include "Classic Concentration," "Card Sharks," "The Wizard of Odds" and "Double Dare."
