In late August, Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek returned to work five months after revealing his stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis. The game show icon originally told fans that while the diagnosis for this type of cancer generally isn’t good, he was determined “to fight this, and I’m going to keep working.” The grueling treatment appeared to do the job, but Trebek appeared on Tuesday morning’s GMA to give another update: he’ll be undergoing more treatment after experiencing a setback.
As Trebek told ABC News’ T.J. Holmes, his doctors want him to undergo a second round of chemotherapy after he lost several pounds in one week. He also spoke about the “excruciating pain” and “fatigue” he suffered after his diagnosis, and he concedes that “cancer is mysterious in more ways than one.” Trebek says that perhaps his doctors’ initial reports were too optimistic, so he’s diving back into treatment:
“I was doing so well. And my numbers went down to the equivalent of a normal human being who does not have pancreatic cancer. So we were all very optimistic. And they said, ‘Good, we’re gonna stop chemo, we’ll start you on immunotherapy. I lost about 12 pounds in a week. And my numbers went sky high, much higher than they were when I was first diagnosed. So, the doctors have decided that I have to undergo chemo again and that’s what I’m doing.”
The 79-year-old host, who’s been the face of Jeopardy! for 35 years, is currently contracted until 2022. Trebek explained further to Holmes that he finds himself “teary eyed for no reason” while speaking to his audience while reflecting upon his health, but he’s determined to conquer round two of chemo.
Watch Trebek’s full appearance on GMA below.
