Alex Trebek wants his fans to know that he is not giving up his battle against stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
In his new memoir, The Answer Is… Reflections on My Life, the Jeopardy! host stated that he has decided to cease all treatment if his current protocol fails.
“I’m going to stick with this current protocol, then that’s it. If it doesn’t work I’ll probably stop treatment,” he wrote. “Quality of life was an important consideration.”
However, on Wednesday, the game show host’s 80th birthday, he clarified this remark on Twitter.
“That quote from the book was written BEFORE my current regimen, and I was going through some bad times,” Trebek explained. “My current numbers are very good, but we will have to be patient with this new immunotherapy program that I am on. But if we were to stop being successful, I would return to my previous chemo treatment — NOT stop all treatment.”
He concluded, “I apologize for any confusion, and want everyone to know that I am optimistic about my current plan, and thank them for their concerns.”
Prior to the release of his book, Trebek spoke with Good Morning America about his health and noted that with the positive numbers coming in during this current treatment, he’s yet to get his affairs in order.
“I know exactly what I need to do, but I have yet to do it,” he said. “So there’s something in the back of my mind that says, ‘Whoa, hold on a second, host, breathe. Maybe you’re gonna be around for a little while longer.’ And that would be so nice.”
