This pancreatic cancer research fund was launched Wednesday with more than $1 million in contributions.
What is the Alex Trebek Fund?
This week, Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) and Jean Trebek, the widow of longtime Jeopardy! host, launched the fund to support research into a major cancer with one of the highest mortality rates.
Trebek and the estate of Barbara Hanania have donated more than $1 million to the cause and SU2C will be fundraising throughout November, which is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month.
Readers will recall that Trebek hosted Jeopardy! from 1984 to 2020 and spent the last year or so of his life battling pancreatic cancer. A beloved part of American TV, Trebek was public with his battle with the disease and through this namesake fund, will continue to make an impact on the lives of patients.
“Alex knew that knowledge equaled power. He was a man that really loved to know things and stayed very curious,” said Jean Trebek in a statement. “Since Alex was all about the right answer, I think it’s very fitting that this fund is now established in his name. It’s a way for the community that loved him to put resources directly into the hands of scientists working tirelessly to fight a disease shrouded by many unknowns.”
As part of the fund launch, SU2C released a nearly two-minute long video underscoring Trebek’s influence on American culture, through the general knowledge trivia show and his goal of defeating cancer. The video features Jean, his daughter Emily and Jeopardy! co-host Ken Jennings discussing his legacy and the fund’s mission.
The launch of The Alex Trebek Fund also comes weeks after SU2C and Visit Myrtle Beach released a public service announcement (PSA) starring Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConnaughey highlighting the work the organization has taken to fund cancer research.
SU2C celebrated its 15-year anniversary earlier this year and also released another PSA in the spring highlighting the work achieved by its researchers thanks to the funding it has received over the years.
Pancreatic cancer diagnoses have risen in recent years but so has pancreatic cancer survival, with 2023 marking the first time in six years that the survival rate has increased for two consecutive years.
Several drugmakers have set their sights on treating and curing pancreatic cancer, including BioNTech. The German company, most well-known for its COVID-19 vaccine created in conjunction with Pfizer, said earlier this year that data from a small study showed its experimental cancer vaccine candidate has shown potential for treating pancreatic cancer.
Additionally, a novel immunotherapy administered to a patient in June 2021 shrunk her late-stage pancreatic cancer, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in June 2022. The patient isn’t cured but said what’s left of her cancer has shown no sign of growth since the one-time treatment.
To learn more about Stand Up To Cancer’s new CEO from a December 2023 article, click here.
