Nicky Trebek's Loss
- Nicky Trebek, 55, is the daughter of iconic Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, who passed from pancreatic cancer last year at 80 years-old.
- Symptoms of pancreatic cancer can include jaundice, weight loss, back pain, or diabetes.
- Coping with the loss of a parent to cancer can be helped with therapy and other formal resources, like support groups.
Alex’s Cancer Journey
Trebek told viewers in March 2019 that he had been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. Trebek underwent chemotherapy to treat his disease. Pancreatic cancer is typically treated through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
Dr. Anirban Maitra, the co-leader of the Pancreatic Cancer Moon Shot at MD Anderson Cancer Center, explains in an earlier interview how and where this disease begins, and the need for early detection. “So the pancreas is an organ in your belly. And this is where pancreatic cancer arises,” says Dr. Maitra. “Because the pancreas is inside the abdomen, it often doesn’t have symptoms that would tell you that something is wrong with your pancreas.”
Related: Detecting Pancreatic Cancer Early Is Crucial
“By the time individuals walk into the clinic with symptoms like jaundice, weight loss, back pain, or diabetes, it’s often very late in the stage of the disease. Each year in the United States, about 53,000 patients get pancreatic cancer,” says Dr. Maitra. “And unfortunately, most will die from this disease within a few months to a year or so from the diagnosis. And the reason for that is that most individuals, about 80%, will actually present with what we called advanced disease, which means that the cancer has either spread beyond the pancreas or into other organs like the liver, and so you cannot take it out with surgeries.”
Challenges to Screening for Pancreatic Cancer
Coping with the Loss of a Parent to Cancer
As Nicky Trebek knows, coping with the loss of a parent to cancer is a difficult, grief-filled road. For some, seeking support from resources like therapy and support groups can be a helpful way to begin healing. Camila Legaspi was in high school when she lost her mother to breast cancer and she credits therapy will helping her through that difficult period.
Related: A Major Step in the Cancer Journey: Learning to Deal With Vulnerability
In an earlier interview, Legaspi says, “Therapy saved my life. I was dealing with some really intense anxiety and depression at that point. It just changed my life, because I was so drained by all the negativity that was going on. Going to a therapist helped me realize that there was still so much out there for me, that I still had my family, that I still had my siblings. The reality is, is when you lose someone, it’s really, really, really hard. And it’s totally OK to talk to someone. And I’m so happy that I talked to my therapist.”
"Therapy Saved My Life": After Losing A Loved One, Don't Be Afraid To Ask For Help
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