Alex Trebek Apologizes to Fans After His Quote About Stopping Cancer Treatment Causes Concern

From Good Housekeeping

• Alex Trebek says he will not "stop all treatment" for his battle with stage-4 pancreatic cancer.

• On July 22, The Jeopardy! host celebrated his 80th birthday and the release of his new memoir, where he previously said he was thinking about stopping immunotherapy treatments.

• He explains that he will continue on with certain cancer treatments in the future.

After receiving an outpouring of support about his latest cancer update, Alex Trebek took to Twitter to clarify a quote taken from his new memoir released. The 80-year-old Jeopardy! host says he will not "stop all treatment" in his battle with stage-4 pancreatic cancer, even if his current round of experimental immunotherapy treatments do not improve his condition. Trebek had previously shared that he was thinking about stopping all cancer treatment in an interview with The New York Times and in the pages of his memoir, The Answer Is... Reflections on My Life. But his stance has changed since he first wrote the book.

"I feel the need to clarify my quote that, if my course of cancer treatment does not continue to work, I would consider stopping treatment. That quote from the book was written BEFORE my current regimen, and I was going through some bad times," Trebek shared in a statement posted to the Jeopardy! Twitter account. Even though Trebek recently shared in a video update that his current treatment "fatigues me a great deal," he says that his current round of immunotherapy treatments — the same treatment that former Senator Harry Reid says sent his pancreatic cancer into remission — has him feeling hopeful about his prognosis.

Trebek adds that he will continue with chemotherapy if his doctors deem that the latest treatment isn't successful. "My current numbers are very good, but we will have to be patient with this new immunotherapy program that I am on. But, if it were to stop being successful, I would return to my previous chemo treatment — NOT stop all treatment," he shared. "I apologize for any confusion, and want everyone to know that I am optimistic about my current plan, and thank them for their concerns."

Jeopardy! fans also took to Twitter to let Trebek know how loved he truly is, and how inspiring the openness about his own journey with cancer has been for viewers.

A representative for Trebek, who is on the cover of this week's People, told the magazine that the Jeopardy! host is "currently doing well" on his treatment. And Trebek has stayed firm about his role as a host, reiterating to ABC News that he will be with the Jeopardy! crew for as long as possible: "I expect to be hosting the show if I am around."

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