Alex Trebek Says Cancer Treatments May Force Him To Leave ‘Jeopardy!’ – Deadline, Deadline.com

Jeopardy!hostAlex Trebekis hinting that his ongoing battle with pancreaticcancercould force him to step away from the popular game show.

Trebek spoke candidly in a Friday interview with Canada’sCTV television network,saying his chemotherapy treatments are starting to affect his speech.

“I talk to the producers about this all the time now. I say, ‘Look, I’m slurring my words. My tongue doesn’t work as much, as well as it used to. The chemo has caused sores inside my mouth. It makes it difficult for me to speak and enunciate properly, ’” he explained.

“I’m sure there are observant members of the television audience that notice also, but they’re forgiving,” he added. “But there will come a point when they will no longer be able to say,‘ It’s OK. ‘”

The Canada native has hostedJeopardy!for 36 seasons, and revealed in March that he’d been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Last month, Trebek released a video on the show’s YouTube channel saying needed another round of chemo after a setback over the summer.

He vowed in the TV interview to continue to fight.

“We’ll play it by ear and keep chugging along until we either win or lose,” he said.

Trebek, 79, added that he’s “not afraid of dying.”

“I’ve lived a good life, a full life, and I’m nearing the end of that life… If it happens, why should I be afraid of that?” He said.