# Alex Trebek dead at 80 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death, reality-or-game-show\ **Created:** [March 6, 2019, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-dead-at-80/925075 "2019-03-06T22:38:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-dead-at-80/925075/1 "2019-03-06T22:38:45Z")
[Story](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/longtime-jeopardy-host-alex-trebek-reveals-he-has-stage-4-n980266). 6-12 months to live is a typical diagnosis. He wants to finish out the current Jeopardy season. [A message from Alex Trebek](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cInGyxCY9k) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-dead-at-80/925075/2 "2019-03-06T22:54:39Z")
That was a great statement for announcing it. I hope he makes it through. He does seem pretty fit and I’m sure he’ll be aggressive in fighting it. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-dead-at-80/925075/3 "2019-03-06T23:21:02Z")
I wish him well. Hope we can take the high road and not make the obvious pun. ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-dead-at-80/925075/4 "2019-03-06T23:24:03Z")
Love Alex Trebek…he’s one of the few celebrities I think I would enjoy spending time with in person…but pancreatic cancer is a bitch. An aunt died of it. It had spread to the liver before it was even diagnosed, so she didn’t have a chance. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-dead-at-80/925075/5 "2019-03-06T23:26:33Z")
I wish him well but that’s a pretty grim diagnosis. I had an uncle die of it, he was shrieking in pain begging for someone to give him a gun at the end because he kept delaying getting home hospice care. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-dead-at-80/925075/6 "2019-03-06T23:30:51Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > That was a great statement for announcing it. I hope he makes it through. He does seem pretty fit and I’m sure he’ll be aggressive in fighting it. Doesn’t matter. Stage 4 pancreatic cancer is a dire thing. Being “fit” doesn’t matter (well, it matters whether or not you can withstand treatment). Even “aggressive” treatment almost never works for that one. Seriously, that’s the kind of diagnosis where you sit down and discuss if it’s more in your best interest NOT to get aggressive and just concentrate on settling your affairs and staying as comfortable as possible vs. going all out combat against the big C. Sure, surgery/chemo/radiation _might_ help you… they also might make your final weeks even more awful than they would be otherwise. Pancreatic cancer has a **two percent** survival rate after 5 years. Anyhow - that’s between Mr. Trebeck and his doctor(s). But for me, personally, if I was told I had stage four pancreatic cancer I’d concentrate on staying out of pain and maximizing my time left, not trying to cure something that is pretty much considered uncurable at that point. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-dead-at-80/925075/7 "2019-03-06T23:42:28Z")
Poor Alex. I like him a lot, and never could understand the animosity toward him that some on this board professed. What’s also disturbing is that apparently the rates of pancreatic cancer are going up. ---
**Author:** ![cgg419](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cgg419/32/2847_2.png) [@cgg419](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cgg419)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-dead-at-80/925075/8 "2019-03-06T23:42:42Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Doesn’t matter. > > Stage 4 pancreatic cancer is a dire thing. Being “fit” doesn’t matter (well, it matters whether or not you can withstand treatment). Even “aggressive” treatment almost never works for that one. Yeah, I hope he’s one of the lucky ones, but that’s probably the worst cancer diagnosis you could get. My father’s best friend got the same news in July 2011. He died the second week of September. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-dead-at-80/925075/9 "2019-03-06T23:42:44Z")
There was an episode of _ **The Nature of Things** _ on the Documentary Channel last night, about an experimental cancer treatment program here in Canada. They’ve had some pretty impressive results, but the odds of pancreatic cancer going into remission are very slim indeed. Still, it does offer at least some hope. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-dead-at-80/925075/10 "2019-03-07T00:15:05Z")
I still get a chuckle out of his “X Files” cameo. Sorry to hear this. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-dead-at-80/925075/11 "2019-03-07T00:26:09Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Poor Alex. I like him a lot, and never could understand the animosity toward him that some on this board professed. Speaking as one of those people, my never having been able to stand the man doesn’t prevent me from feeling shock, sadness, and deepest sympathy for him. ---
**Author:** ![More\_Barn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@More\_Barn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/More_Barn)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-dead-at-80/925075/12 "2019-03-07T00:28:08Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I wish him well. Hope we can take the high road and not make the obvious pun. I wouldn’t think of it. Even though I do have command of the (key)board.\* Thinking of you, Alex! \*That’s meant to be a homage, and I mean it sincerely as such. ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mike\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_H)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-dead-at-80/925075/13 "2019-03-07T00:30:31Z")
> [@RIP Alex Trebek](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-alex-trebek/925067/20): > > [Story](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/longtime-jeopardy-host-alex-trebek-reveals-he-has-stage-4-n980266). > > 6-12 months to live is a typical diagnosis. He wants to finish out the current Jeopardy season. > > [A message from Alex Trebek](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cInGyxCY9k) Something strange going on with the closed captions to that YouTube video. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-dead-at-80/925075/14 "2019-03-07T00:38:51Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I wish him well. Hope we can take the high road and not make the obvious pun. Which is the ‘obvious’ one? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-dead-at-80/925075/15 "2019-03-07T00:55:20Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Which is the ‘obvious’ one? 😕 Well, there’s the Jeopardy round, and then the Double Jeopardy round, and then…☹ ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-dead-at-80/925075/16 "2019-03-07T00:56:53Z")
This was hard to hear. It seems like he’s been on my TV forever, and I almost always enjoyed watching him, even his corny jokes. I had the good fortune to be on Jeopardy last year, which somehow makes this feel more real to me than it might otherwise. He’s not just some guy on TV, he’s someone I’ve actually met! Yeah, this is a pretty grim diagnosis. Fit and healthy as he might seem now, the sad fact is that things are likely to go downhill very quickly. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-dead-at-80/925075/17 "2019-03-07T00:58:27Z")
I know we all have an expiration date, but this is a particular vicious way to go. ☹ For him, “fighting this” may consist of being kept as comfortable as possible, and if that’s the right option, I hope he chooses it. F cancer and the horse it rode in on. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-dead-at-80/925075/18 "2019-03-07T01:11:48Z")
My grandmother died of pancreatic cancer in '94. She was in her early '80’s. When diagnosed, they basically wanted to send her home with 3 months to live. She had to fight to get treatment. She ended up living 21 months, and really had no pain until the last week of her life. She even slipped on the ice outside the doctor’s office, broke her hip and recovered from that while undergoing treatment. I’m not saying he’ll beat this, but there’s no harm in fighting. It’s easy to say, “go home and die” when you’re not doing the dying. StG ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-dead-at-80/925075/19 "2019-03-07T01:18:57Z")
If there’s a classy way to make that kind of announcement, Alex did it. Good luck to him. There is hope, though. Guitarist Wilko Johnson was diagnosed with late-stage pancreatic cancer and given 10 months to live back in 2012. He decided to forego chemo and went out on a farewell tour and recorded an album with Roger Daltrey instead. As luck would have it, the cancer turned out to be a [pancreatic neuroendocrine tumo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancreatic_neuroendocrine_tumor)r, which was successfully treated by surgery. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-dead-at-80/925075/20 "2019-03-07T01:30:24Z")
Is this related to the talk of him retiring a few months ago? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-trebek-dead-at-80/925075.md?page=2)