(CNN) "Jeopardy" host Alex Trebek is hoping for a victory as he wages a battle against cancer.

The longtime game show host on Wednesday announced he's been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in a video posted to the show's official YouTube account.

"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," he said.

Pancreatic cancer, on average and across all stages, has a 5-year survival rate of 9%, according to the American Cancer Society.

Trebek, 78, has hosted "Jeopardy" since 1984, when the show began airing daily in syndication.

Read More</s>LOS ANGELES (CBS13) – Longtime “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek says he’s been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Trebek made the announcement in a video posted to the Jeopardy! Twitter account.

“Just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer,” Trebek says in the video.

“Now normally the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this,” Trebek continues.

Trebek, who is 78-years-old, says he’s going to keep working – and even cracked a joke.

“Truth told, I have to [beat the disease] because under the terms of my contract I have to host Jeopardy! for three more years.”

Jeopardy! has been hosted by Trebek since 1984.

Pancreatic cancer is considered one of the deadliest forms of the disease. According to numbers from the American Cancer Society, the one-year survival rate is 20 percent, while the five-year rate is just 7 percent – for all stages combined.</s>It’s a sad day for Jeopardy fans as we just learned that the long-time host, Alex Trebek, was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Trebek intends to finish out this season of the game show despite his condition, according to TMZ. “Anything beyond that is up in the air.”

Trebek has been hosting Jeopardy since 1984, but the Ontario native began his TV career in 1961 at Canadian Broadcasting Corporation where he reported news and events. He went to host a live music show and then a high school quiz show called “Reach For the Top,” which eventually launched his career in game show hosting.

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Alex moved to the U.S. in 1973 and became the host of a new NBC show called “The Wizard of Odds” … then worked on a variety of game shows until the early ’80s before landing the “Jeopardy!” gig, which was actually a revival of an old show. It was a hit, and he’s been doing it ever since … often with his classic mustache. When he shaved his mustache off in the early 2000s, it made headlines.

Back in 2018, Trebek took medical leave for a surgery to remove blood clots in his brain after a bad fall and in the past, suffered mild heart attacks, but that didn’t stop his drive.

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The legendary game show host is in our prayers!
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‘Jeopardy’ Host Alex Trebek Diagnosed With Stage 4 Cancer was originally published on rickeysmileymorningshow.com</s>"Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek said on Wednesday that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

His full statement is below:

"Hi everyone, I have some news to share with all of you and it's in keeping with my longtime policy of being open and transparent with our Jeopardy! fan base. I also wanted to prevent you from reading or hearing some overblown or inaccurate reports regarding my health. So therefore, I wanted to be the one to pass along this information. Now, just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. 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. Truth told, I have to! Because under the terms of my contract, I have to host Jeopardy! for three more years! So help me. Keep the faith and we'll win. We'll get it done. Thank you."

Trebek has hosted the long-running and popular game show "Jeopardy!" since its daily syndicated version began in 1984. In October, Trebek renewed his contract for the show through 2022.

Trebek holds the Guinness World Record for the most game show episodes hosted by the same person, and has won five Daytime Emmy awards for best game show host, according to the show's official website.

According to the American Cancer Society, the five-year relative survival rate for stage 4, or "distant," pancreatic cancer is 3%, based on those diagnosed between 2008 and 2014. It defines "distant" cancer as that which has spread to distant parts of the body, such as the lungs or liver.</s>Beloved "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Trebek, 78, was born in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1998. He signed on to host “Jeopardy!” in 1984 and has been the only person to be the face of the long-running syndicated game show, which is distributed by Inside Edition's parent company, CBS Television Distribution.

Last fall, Trebek signed a contract extension to host the show until 2022, when he will be 82.

Pancreatic cancer begins when the cells in the pancreas “grow out of control,” according to the American Cancer Society. the pancreas is a small gland that lies behind the stomach and in front of your spine.

Patrick Swayze, Steve Jobs, Luciano Pavarotti, have all died of the disease. In 2009, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was diagnosed with the disease, she later beat it.

Trebek studied philosophy at the University of Ottawa but said he always had an interest in working in broadcast. In 1961, he started working for the CBC as an announcer. By 1963, he was hosting his own radio show. His big television break came in 1973, when he started hosting “The Wizard of Odds” game show for NBC. He then floated around as the host of various shows, including “Strategy,” “The $128,000 Question,” and “Battlestars,” to name a few.

For the last 35 years, Trebek's sharp wit as host of “Jeopardy!” has made him a fan favorite among all ages. In 2014, he entered the Guinness Book of World Records for Most Gameshow Episodes Hosted by the Same Presenter, overtaking Bob Barker’s run on “The Price Is Right.” Recently, the show has gained new life with episodes streaming on Netflix.

Trebek has been married twice, first to Elaine Trebek Kares, to whom he said “I do” in 1974. The couple divorced in 1981. He remarried in 1990 to Jean Currivan-Trebek, with whom he has two children.

The TV star is also known for his philanthropy, entertaining troops as part of a USO tour since 1995. In 2016, he donated $5 million to the University of Ottawa, establishing the Alex Trebek Forum for Dialogue, which helps expose students to different worldviews.</s>
• “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek said in a video message on Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
• “Now normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this, and I’m going to keep working,” Trebek said.
• Trebek has hosted the long-running game show since 1984 and recently renewed his contract through 2022.

“Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek said on Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Trebek revealed the diagnosis in a video message.

“Now normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this, and I’m going to keep working,” Trebek said. “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.”

According to the American Cancer Society, the five-year relative survival rate for stage 4, or “distant,” pancreatic cancer is 3%, based on those diagnosed between 2008 and 2014.

Trebek, 78, has hosted the long-running and popular game show “Jeopardy!” since its daily syndicated version began in 1984. In October, Trebek renewed his contract for the show through 2022.

Trebek holds the Guinness World Record for the most game show episodes hosted by the same person, and has won five Daytime Emmy awards for best game show host, according to the show’s official website.

Trebek, who was born in Ontario, began his television career in the early 1960s as host of Canadian programs like “Music Hop” and quiz show “Reach for the Top.” He was also an announcer at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He moved to the US in the early 1970s, where his first hosting gig was for NBC’s “The Wizard of Odds.”

“Hi everyone, I have some news to share with all of you and it’s in keeping with my longtime policy of being open and transparent with our Jeopardy! fan base. I also wanted to prevent you from reading or hearing some overblown or inaccurate reports regarding my health. So therefore, I wanted to be the one to pass along this information. “Now, just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. 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. Truth told, I have to! Because under the terms of my contract, I have to host Jeopardy! for three more years! So help me. Keep the faith and we’ll win. We’ll get it done. Thank you.”</s>Longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek has been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

"I'm going to fight this," Trebek said in a video on Twitter.

"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," Trebek said. "I plan to beat the low survival rate statistics for this disease."

"I have to. Because under the terms of my contract, I have to host Jeopardy! for three more years," Trebek wittingly added.

Trebek, 78, has been hosting Jeopardy! since 1984.

Fellow game-show host Pat Sajak shared his thoughts with Trebek and his family.</s>Alex Trebek, who has hosted the Jeopardy! game show since 1984, announced Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

"Now normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I'm going to fight this, and I'm going to keep working," Trebek said in a video announcing his illness. "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."

About 1.6 percent of Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in their lifetimes, according to the National Cancer Institute. More than 55,000 new cases were diagnosed last year, the institute estimates.

Pancreatic cancer makes up just 3 percent of cancers in the U.S., but is a particularly deadly form of the disease. It accounts for 7 percent of deaths from cancer, the American Cancer Society says. Just 8.5 percent of people survived five years after diagnosis in the time period between 2008 and 2014, according to the NCI.

Trebek is 78. The risk of pancreatic cancer increases with age, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, with almost 70 percent of pancreatic cancer patients being age 65 or older.

Trebek has hosted nearly 8,000 episodes of Jeopardy! since the show's revival in its current form in 1984. A native of Sudbury, Ontario, he previously covered news for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation before making his American TV debut as a host of a game show on NBC in 1973, according to Trebek's Jeopardy! biography.

He suffered a subdural hematoma in late 2017 and took time off from the show to recover from brain surgery. Trebek has also had two heart attacks.

Last year, Trebek suggested he would retire in 2020, but ended up renewing his hosting contract through 2022.

He joked that that's the reason why he will survive the disease: "Truth told, I have to! Because under the terms of my contract, I have to host Jeopardy! for three more years! So help me. Keep the faith and we'll win. We'll get it done."

Ken Jennings, the Jeopardy! contestant with the most wins and most winnings, tweeted that Trebek is "in a way the last Cronkite: authoritative, reassuring TV voice you hear every night, almost to the point of ritual."

He added: "One thing I know for a fact: Alex is very aware of how much he means to millions of people, and how we will be pulling for him...I hope that's a comfort."</s>Alex Trebek has just been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, but not only will he finish out this season of "Jeopardy!" -- he has no plans to retire ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to Trebek tell us, the TV icon was just informed of the diagnosis. He recorded a video message announcing his diagnosis.

We're told Alex's will finish out the current season of "Jeopardy!." In fact, he says he's vowing to keep working and he's bravely upbeat. In the video, he says he plans to beat cancer.

Sources connected to the legendary host tell us he will immediately begin chemo.

Alex even managed to add some humor in his message, pointing out his contract calls for him to host for 3 more years -- and that's exactly what he intends to do.

Alex has been at the helm of the show since 1984 and it has been immensely successful ever since ... dominating the evening game show biz along with "Wheel of Fortune." Alex has always said he is not the star of the show ... he says it's all about the game and the contestants.

Trebek, who's from Ontario, Canada, got his start in 1961 announcing the news and other events on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He quickly rose to prominence by hosting a live music show and eventually a high school quiz show, called "Reach for the Top."

Alex moved to the U.S. in 1973 and became the host of a new NBC show called "The Wizard of Odds" ... then worked on a variety of game shows until the early '80s before landing the "Jeopardy!" gig, which was actually a revival of an old show. It was a hit, and he's been doing it ever since ... often with his classic mustache. When he shaved his mustache off in the early 2000s, it made headlines.

Last year, 78-year-old Alex spoke to Harvey Levin for an episode of "Objectified" and said he was seriously considering retiring, but he later signed a contract extension to secure his gig through the 2021-2022 season.

He does have a couple potential replacements in mind, though ... and he's pretty clear about it.

Alex took a brief medical leave in 2018 to have surgery for blood clots on his brain after taking a nasty fall -- but 'Jeopardy!' never aired any episodes with a guest host. Alex also suffered mild heart attacks in 2007 and 2012.</s>Alex Trebek spoke out about his cancer diagnosis in a heartfelt video post to the official Jeopardy YouTube page on Wednesday, March 6. The longstanding gameshow host spoke of his commitment to fighting, telling fans he has stage four pancreatic cancer. Speaking directly to Jeopardy fans, the host pledged to “beat the low survival rate statistics for this disease” as he had to “host Jeopardy for three more years.”

Alex gave a brief statement direct from the Jeopardy set saying: “Hi everyone, I have some news to share with all of you and it’s in keeping with my longtime policy of being open and transparent with our Jeopardy! fan base. 



“I also wanted to prevent you from reading or hearing some overblown or inaccurate reports regarding my health. 



“So therefore, I wanted to be the one to pass along this information.



“Now, just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.



“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. 



“Truth told, I have to! Because under the terms of my contract, I have to host Jeopardy! for three more years! 



“So help me. Keep the faith and we’ll win. We’ll get it done. Thank you."

According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer on average and for all stages has a five year survival rate of just nine percent. 



Pancreatic cancer is often not diagnosed until it has reached a late stage, as it usually does not show symptoms in early stages. 



Stage four pancreatic cancer means that the cancer has spread to other organs and cannot be cured, however there are treatment options.



Alex has hosted Jeopardy since 1984, the year the show began airing daily in syndication. 



Sony Pictures Television chairman Mike Hopkins said in a statement Wednesday, "If anyone can beat this it's Alex. He has our full support as he tackles this challenge head-on."



Fans, former champions and fellow gameshow hosts rushed to Twitter to issue their support for the veteran presenter. 



Pat Sajak, host of Wheel of Fortune wrote on Twitter: “The Sajak family is deeply saddened to hear of Alex Trebek's struggle with cancer.



"Our hearts go out to him and his family. But there is no one I know who is stronger and more determined, and I would never bet against him. 



“We, and the entire country, are pulling for you, Alex.”
Alex Trebek, host of the American syndicated game show Jeopardy! since 1984, announces that he has been diagnosed with terminal stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He plans to continue hosting during his treatment.