Trebek’s message of hope

Alex Trebek shared an uplifting update in his battle with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer a year after he was diagnosed with the disease.

The longtime “Jeopardy!” host began a video update Wednesday by saying he’s “very happy” to share that he’s reached the one-year mark, acknowledging the oneyear survival rate of pancreatic cancer patients is 18%.

“There were moments of great pain, days when certain bodily functions no longer functioned, and sudden massive attacks of great depression that made me wonder if it really was worth fighting on,” Trebek (inset) said in a clip posted on the“Jeopardy!” Twitter page. “But I brushed that aside quickly.”

He went on to say that giving up hope would’ve been a betrayal of his supportive wife, of other cancer patients who view him as an inspiration, and of his faith in God and the millions of prayers that people have said for him.

Trebek, 79, ended the video by saying that while the two-year survival rate of pancreatic cancer patients is 7%, his outlook remains positive.

“If I, no, if we — because so many of us are involved in this same situation — if we take it just one day at a time with a positive attitude, anything is possible,” Trebek said.

In addition to continuing with his hosting duties and fighting his own battle, Trebek is also helping others. He recently donated $100,000 to the nonprofit Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission, a charity seeking to fight poverty, hunger, and homelessness in the Los Angeles area.