Alex Trebek Says There May 'Come a Point' Where He Has to Leave' Jeopardy!:' My Skills 'Have Started to Diminish'

Alex Trebekisback in chemotherapyfor his stage 4 pancreatic cancer, and continues to be open with fans about the treatment and the possibility he will succumb to the disease. “One thing they’re not going to say at my funeral, as a part of a eulogy, is ‘He was taken from us too soon,’ ” theJeopardy!host joked. While undergoing the latest round of chemo, Trebek hascontinued to hostthe beloved game show, despite the physical difficulties.

Alex Trebek Tells John Lewis 'Let's See If We Can't Both' Survive Amid Pancreatic Cancer Treatment

Jeopardy!hostAlex Trebekis sending well wishes to lawmaker and civil rights iconJohn Lewiswho, like Trebek, is being treated for cancer. “We’re starting a new year, and let’s see if we can’t both complete the year as pancreatic cancer survivors,” Trebek said when he was asked what he’d tell Rep. Lewis,according to the Associated Press. Trebek and Lewis — both 79 — each have stage IV pancreatic cancer. Trebekannouncedhis diagnosis early last year while Lewis made his bout with the disease public inlate December.

Alex Trebek Underwent Testing for Early Alzheimer's After Suffering from Memory Lapses

Alex Trebekis in the clear after undergoing testing forearly onset Alzheimer’s, and getting worrying results the first time around. The longtimeJeopardyhost, 78, revealed that he opted to test forthe neurodegenerative diseaseafter noticing that he couldn’t recall facts with his usual speed. “I love doing crossword puzzles, and recently I’d be looking at a clue, it’d be 23 across, and I’d be trying to fit the answer into 26 across. I was always off,”he told Vulture.

Alex Trebek Was 'Writhing in Pain' During 'Jeopardy!' Filming at the Start of His Cancer Treatment

Alex Trebekwas determined to finish out the last season ofJeopardy!, despite the crippling pain fromhis treatment for stage 4 pancreatic cancer. The longtime host,who revealed his diagnosis in March, said he pushed through the difficult daysat the start of his cancer treatment, even if it meant “writhing in pain” on the floor of his dressing room from agonizing stomach cramps. “This got really bad. I was on the floor writhing in pain … It went from a 3 to an 11 [on the pain scale].

Alex Trebek Was Emotional at His Christmas Party, Says Don McLean: 'There Were a Lot of Tears'

Turns out, Alex Trebek is a huge fan of “American Pie” singer Don McLean. And that feeling is now mutual. “It’s funny, because I felt like I’d always known the guy,” McLean, 74, tells PEOPLE, of beinginvited to play several of Trebek’sfavorite songs at theJeopardy!host’sannual Christmas party for his friends and staffers, which was held at Feinstein’s at Vitello’s in Los Angeles on Dec. 20. “But as far a [playing] the party goes, it was something that just came out of the clear blue sky,” McLean says.