Alex Trebek, host of 'Jeopardy!' dies of pancreatic cancer at 80
Trebek had survived a year of chemotherapy for stage IV pancreatic cancer, but the survival rate for two years was only 7%.
By AARON REICHJeopardy television game show host Alex Trebek speaks on stage during the 40th annual Daytime Emmy Awards in Beverly Hills, California June 16, 2013.(photo credit: DANNY MOLOSHOK/ REUTERS)
Canadian-American television personality Alex Trebek, longtime host of the popular game show Jeopardy!, has passed away after a long battle with cancer, the show'sofficial Twitter account said on Sunday.Trebek passed away in the early hours of Sunday morning, surrounded by his loved ones, the statement explained.The television host was first diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer in 2019, and was given low prospects for surviving. However, he had announced in March 2020 that he successfully completed a year of chemotherapy."I’d be lying if I said the journey had been an easy one," he said in a video statement at the time."There were some good days but a lot of not-so-good days. I joked with friends that the cancer won’t kill me; the chemo treatments will. There were moments of great pain, days when certain bodily functions no longer functioned and sudden, massive attacks of great depression that made me wonder if it really was worth fighting on."Throughout this time, Trebek continued hosting Jeopardy!, which he had done for the past 35 years, and was contracted to continue until 2022.His oncologist was optimistic at the time that he would survive two years of chemotherapy, despite the survival rate being only 7%. However, he was unsuccessful in beating the odds a second time.Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.
