Answer: This iconic game show host – who was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer earlier this year – has miraculously overcome the odds, announcing he is in “near remission.”
Who is Alex Trebek!
According to Alex’s interview with People Magazine, his progress has been “mind boggling” – considering he only announced his diagnosis three months ago.
“The doctors said they hadn’t seen this kind of positive result in their memory…some of the tumors have already shrunk by more than 50 percent.”
Way to go, Alex!
While he may not be out of the woods just yet — he’ll still have to go through several more rounds of chemotherapy to hopefully get into full remission — he and all of us are thrilled that he’s been doing as good as he has been.
“I’ve got a couple million people out there who have expressed their good thoughts, their positive energy directed towards me and their prayers,” he says. “I told the doctors, this has to be more than just the chemo, and they agreed it could very well be an important part of this.”
Indeed when Alex released a video announcing his diagnosis, we went viral — garnering over 5 million views on YouTube and countless social media and hand letter well-wishing. In a statement, he said:
“I just want to take a few moments to say thanks to the — believe it or not — hundreds of thousands of people who have sent in tweets, texts, emails, cards, and letters wishing me well following my recent health announcement.”
And Alex isn’t the only one who thinks the collective love from fans worldwide helped him get better. The British online journal “The Conversation” published an article titled “The Trebek effect” which goes into some of the science behind well-wishing.
Here’s an excerpt:
Although the odds remain stacked against Trebek (advanced pancreatic cancer has a 3% 5-year survival rate), his experience raises an intriguing question: What are the benefits of such well wishes?
When we are injured, sick or suffering, knowing that someone else is thinking about us can be a source of comfort. It counteracts one of the worst aspects of suffering – isolation. During periods of convalescence, we often miss school or take time off from work and other social activities, which leaves us feeling alone. Knowing that we are in someone else’s thoughts helps to counteract this.
Whatever lies ahead for this American icon, we should all take comfort in the fact that Alex Trebek feels loved and supported — and isn’t that what all of us in the rare patient community and Patient Worthy itself is all about?
