Alex Trebek Resumes Chemotherapy After “Numbers Went Sky High”

The "Jeopardy!" host is continuing treatment after a setback

See Alex Trebek Get Choked Up On "Jeopardy!" After Contestant's Message
Host of "Jeopardy!" Alex Trebek in 2011. (Ben Hider/Getty)
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Last month, Alex Trebek announced he had finished chemotherapy and was back at work filming Jeopardy!, but in a new interview with Good Morning America today, the host revealed he has experienced a setback and must resume the treatment for his stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Trebek said he “was doing so well” and that his medical reports showed levels that were similar to someone who had never had the disease, but he began to unexpectedly lose weight and decline.

“I lost about 12 pounds in a week,” he said. “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.”

Trebek, who first announced his cancer diagnosis back in March, has been remarkably candid about his struggle with the disease.

“In terms of getting my strength back, that hasn’t happened, unfortunately,” he told Good Morning America. He admitted that the setback has taken a toll on his mental health at times as well.

“There are moments where for no reason at all, I feel this surge of sadness, depression,” he said. “It doesn’t last very long, but it just takes over my whole being for a short period of time. And I understand it more now, so I can deal with it a lot better than I did before.”

However, the Jeopardy! host is maintaining a positive attitude through it all. “The thing I suppose that gives me the most optimism is, hey, I’m still here,” he said.

Watch Trebek’s full interview below.

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