Alex Trebek Shines a Light on Pancreatic Cancer

The iconic game show host died from the disease – and also made people more aware of it.

Alex Trebek, the legendary host of the game show “Jeopardy!," passed away on November 8^th at the age of 80 after a less than two-year bout with pancreatic cancer. The well-known television personality is not the only public figure to die from the disease. Pancreatic cancer also took the lives of civil rights leader John Lewis and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg earlier this year.

Trebek revealed to the public that he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer on March 6, 2019, sharing that although his prognosis was not very good, he was going to fight the disease the best he could. He was open and encouraging throughout his cancer battle. But although Trebek fought valiantly, the 5-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer is very low – less than 10% – because most people aren’t diagnosed with pancreatic cancer until it has progressed to an advanced stage.

Thankfully, there are new cancer treatments available that may help extend and improve quality of life, even in patients who have terminal cancers. In September, Trebek said his treatment was going well and he was "on the right track," in an interview with ABC’s "Good Morning America." Because of his treatment, he felt well enough to film episodes of “Jeopardy!” until the end of October, just before his passing.

By the time pancreatic cancer symptoms typically appear, it is often too late to remove the tumor and improve a patient’s odds of survival. Although it is difficult to diagnose in its earliest stages, here is more information about symptoms, risk factors and what you can do to help prevent the disease.

Symptoms

Pancreatic cancer often causes no symptoms until it is at a more advanced stage, which is what makes it so difficult to treat. But there are some symptoms that may help you catch it earlier. These include:

• Persistent pain in the abdomen or back
• Jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin)
• Unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite
• Light-colored stool or dark-colored urine
• Newly diagnosed diabetes or existing diabetes that becomes more difficult to control
• Itchy skin
• Fatigue

Many of these symptoms can be attributed to other health conditions. See your doctor if you experience any unusual or persistent symptoms.

Risk Factors

Some risk factors for pancreatic cancer are under your control, while others are not. Risk factors include:

• Smoking – smokers are twice as likely to get pancreatic cancer
• Chronic inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) – this may be made worse by smoking or heavy alcohol use
• Being very overweight – this may increase your risk by 20%
• Diabetes – especially type 2 diabetes
• Family history – of pancreatic cancer or genetic mutations/syndromes that increase cancer risk
• Age – most people are diagnosed after age 65

Don't ignore the symptoms

If you've been avoiding the doctor during the pandemic, it's time to reschedule your appointments. Preventative screenings and follow-up care help to prevent conditions like these from developing or worsening into more-critical states. Whether you need a new doctor or just haven't seen yours in a while, it's time to make an appointment. For a list of providers seeing new patients, click here. To make an appointment, visit saintagnescare.com/appointments to schedule your appointment with a physician today.

 

_{Although you can’t completely prevent pancreatic cancer, there are some things you can do to lower your risk. These include quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and following a healthy diet.}