Alex Trebek Feels 'Deep Sadness' Over Cancer Battle: 'It Brings Tears To My Eyes'
Longtime Jeopardy host Alex Trebek is giving fans an update on his cancer battle in his first interview since his diagnosis.
The star seemed in high spirits when he stopped by Good Morning America this Wednesday, May 1. During his talk, he said that telling his story and hearing back from people is actually making him feel much better about his condition.
"People all over America have been sharing their good thoughts, their advice, their prayers," he told Robin Roberts. "And I feel it's been making a difference."
After 35 years as a game show host, Trebek, 78, said "It's great to be considered an inspiration to people."
He said that ever since he revealed his stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis this March, cancer survivors have reached out to him to give him hope and support.
"I've had so many contacts from people who have survived cancer," said Trebek. "I am now a 30-day survivor... I'm going to catch up to those other people."
Though he remained kind, composed, and humorous throughout his interview, Trebek told Roberts, 58, that he’s certainly had difficult moments.
He said though "my oncologist tells me I'm doing well," because of his chemotherapy treatment, he often has "surges of deep, deep sadness, and it brings tears to my eyes."
Trebek added that the treatments leave him feeling "so weak all the time” but he gets through it.
"You have to deal with it. What am I gonna do?" he said. "It's something I am afflicted with, we are dealing with it chemically and spiritually, and those are positive.”
Regardless, he’s not giving up.
"I'm fighting through it," he told Roberts. "My platelets are steady, my blood counts are steady, my weight is steady."
Trebek noted that his cancer indicator numbers have started to go down, meaning he’s slowly recovering, and he'll be undergoing chemotherapy again next week, followed by a review of his status.
Feeling thankful, Trebek said that the biggest thing his health battle has taught him is that life is good.
"I think I've learned that I'm an extremely lucky individual, because in spite of the fact this diagnosis is not a good one, I've managed to receive so much love from so many people,” he said.
RadarOnline.com readers recall that in a video announcing his diagnosis earlier this year, the show host assured fans he’d continue working on Jeopardy while receiving treatment.
“Hopefully everything is going to turn out well and I'll be back on the air with original programming this September,” Trebek told Roberts in his interview.