Nicky Trebek on Missing Her Dad
- Nicky Trebek recently honored her dad, the late Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, on social media, saying she missed him and is grateful for the support he had through his battle.
- Trebek told Jeopardy! viewers in March 2019 that he had been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer; he passed from the disease in November 2020.
- Pancreatic cancer may present with symptoms like jaundice, weight loss, back pain or diabetes.
Sharing a picture of her dad, Nicky writes, “Sometimes it's hard when the memories come up unwanted on #socialmedia but then I plug into the #hope that it may bring to anyone suffering from #pancreaticcancer and this incredible feeling of #gratitude #strength and #love in my heart for this woman emerges everytime.”
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Nicky continues, “@pamelaacostamarquardt You are such a force to be reckoned with on this planet for all you do with @pancan for each and every #survivor of #pancreaticcancer this picture embodies those 3 things #beyondmeasure.” She goes on to say how much her dad appreciated Pamela Acosta Marquardt’s determination, and “ruthless efforts” to make a difference. Nicky calls Marquardt and other “PanCan” (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network) workers angels, and praises them for their efforts to to improve the lives of people fighting pancreatic cancer.Nicky finishes her emotional and powerful post, writing, “I miss you dad.” PanCan says, “We are sending you lots of purple love, Nicky. We are so grateful for your support in honor of your dad.”
Alex’s Cancer Journey
Alex 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.”
"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."
Detecting Pancreatic Cancer Early Is Crucial
Support Through Cancer
As Nicky notes, Alex was fortunate to have tremendous support through his cancer battle, in his family, the public, and support at PanCan.
Related: Support Groups Can Offer Comfort and Encouragement
Having community support while fighting a disease like pancreatic cancer or any cancer can be life-changing. Ovarian cancer survivor Beverly Reeves agrees that there’s power to be found in the community when fighting cancer.
She says in an earlier interview, “If I had one piece of advice for someone who had just been diagnosed with cancer, it would be to get a strong support group together. Get your close friends.”
“If you’re connected to a faith community, get your faith community,” says Reeves. “Get your family. Let them know what’s going on and let them help you. And sometimes that’s the most difficult thing to do, but just know that they are there. If they love you, they’re there to help you.”
'Faith, Family, and Friends' Helped Beverly Reeves Get Through Ovarian Cancer Treatment
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