ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (KDVR) – It’s a sad day for Alex Trebek fans. The host of “Jeopardy!” died Sunday at the age of 80, after an 18-month battle with pancreatic cancer.
“Very sad,” said Dr. Kian Modanlou, a surgeon at Swedish Medical Center in Englewood. He believes Trebek’s battle has shed light on the disease.
“I think it’s absolutely raised awareness about pancreatic cancer, and also how deadly this disease can be, and how important it is for early diagnosis and treatment,” he said.
“What makes this such a deadly disease is that unlike breast cancer or colon cancer, we don’t have any screening for pancreatic cancer, and the initial symptoms are often very vague such as upper abdominal pain, and weight loss,” he said.
He says we all must take charge of our health, and continue to see our providers, even during this pandemic.
“I think the message we can take away from this is to not ignore any type of vague symptoms, and really go see your physician and investigate,” Dr. Modanlou said.