Alex Trebek announces he has advanced pancreatic cancer

“Jeopardy” host Alex Trebek is hoping for a victory as he wages a battle against cancer.

The longtime game show host on Wednesday announced he’s been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in a video posted to the show’s official YouTube account.

“Hi everyone, I have some news to share with all of you and it’s in keeping with my longtime policy of being open and transparent with our Jeopardy! fan base. I also wanted to prevent you from reading or hearing some overblown or inaccurate reports regarding my health. So, therefore, I wanted to be the one to pass along this information.

Now, just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Now normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this, and I’m going to keep working. And with the love and support of my family and friends and with the help of your prayers also, I plan to beat the low survival rate statistics for this disease. Truth told I have to! Because under the terms of my contract, I have to host Jeopardy! for three more years! So help me. Keep the faith and we’ll win. We’ll get it done. Thank you.”

Pancreatic cancer, on average and across all stages, has a 5-year survival rate of 9%, according to the American Cancer Society.

Trebek has hosted “Jeopardy” since 1984, when the show began airing daily in syndication.

He’s known for his quick wit and sense of humor, which was on display in his announcement, despite the somber message at its center.