MACON, Ga. — After 'Jeopardy!' host Alex Trebek announced his diagnosis of stage four pancreatic cancer, and some of our own in the Central Georgia community have passed away from the disease, we wanted to take a closer look at how it affects those who have it.
Lisa Miller grew up watching 'Jeopardy!' and 'Wheel of Fortune' with her mother every evening.
"I don't think Jeopardy would ever be the same without him," Miller said.
Trebek's diagnosis with stage four cancer hit close to home for Miller.
"My father passed away from lung cancer in '96, and my daughter had Hodgkins lymphoma when she was 15. She's 23 now, so she's doing well," she said.
But pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the country.
According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer accounts for three percent of all cancers in the United States, and about seven percent of all cancer deaths.
Dr. Joel Judah from the Medical Center, Navicent Health says the survival rate is less than 10 percent, but there are some common symptoms to look out for.
"Things that we always look for, if you've got abdominal pain, you don't have a cause, especially in the upper abdomen, that should be evaluated," Dr. Judah said. "If you have jaundice or your eyes are yellow, this is something that should definitely immediately be brought to the attention of your physician."
Pancreatic cancer has made headlines here in Central Georgia lately.
Warner Robins city councilman Mike Davis passed away from the disease in late January. Only weeks later, Houston County Fire Chief Jimmy Williams died from the same disease.
MORE: 'He fought amazingly hard:' Friends, colleagues mourn Houston County Fire Chief Jimmy Williams
Dr. Judah says much like any other cancer, the sooner it's diagnosed, the quicker it can be treated.
Other symptoms include dramatic weight loss and complications with diabetes.