- In a video message on Thursday, "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek thanked the "hundreds of thousands of people" who have wished him well since his cancer diagnosis.
- "Now obviously, I won't be able to respond to all of you individually, but I do want you to know that I do read everything I receive," Trebek said. "And I am thankful for the kind words, the prayers and the advice you have offered, and I'm extremely touched by the warmth you have expressed in your comments to me. I'm a lucky guy."
- Trebek said last week that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, and vowed to "keep working."
- Trebek has hosted the game show since 1984 and recently renewed his contract through 2022.
The outpouring of support toward Alex Trebek has not gone unnoticed by the long-time "Jeopardy!" host.
In a video statement on Thursday, Trebek thanked the "hundreds of thousands of people" who wished him well after he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer earlier this month. Trebek said that he reads everything he receives, and that he is a "lucky guy."
Trebek's full statement is below:
"Hi everyone, I just want to take a few moments to say thanks to the - believe it or not - hundreds of thousands of people who have sent in tweets, texts, emails, cards and letters wishing me well following my recent health announcement. I've heard from former contestants - even Watson, the IBM computer, sent me a get-well card. Now obviously, I won't be able to respond to all of you individually, but I do want you to know that I do read everything I receive. And I am thankful for the kind words, the prayers and the advice you have offered, and I'm extremely touched by the warmth you have expressed in your comments to me. I'm a lucky guy."
Trebek, 78, announced his cancer diagnosis in a video message last week, saying, "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."
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 has hosted "Jeopardy!" since the daily syndicated version began in 1984. In October, Trebek renewed his contract with the show through 2022.
Watch Trebek's full message below: