I caught some rumours on the 'net today about actor Patrick Swayze having only weeks to live, as a result of terminal pancreatic cancer. These rumours were posted on websites not known for their journalistic professionalism ("gossip-mongering" would be a more apt description), so I didn't take much notice. It just sounded like a bad-taste joke.
Sadly, it seems the rumours were true -- although early reports he has weeks to live seem to have been exaggerated. However, Swayze was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer over a month ago; a condition with a life expectancy of 6 to 9 months, with only 4% of patients surviving for 5 years.
In a statement, Swayze's publicist commented:
"Actor Patrick Swayze has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and is currently undergoing treatment. Patrick's physician Dr. George Fisher states, 'Patrick has a very limited amount of disease and he appears to be responding well to treatment thus far. All of the reports stating the time-frame of his prognosis and his physical side effects are absolutely untrue. We are considerably more optimistic.'"
"Patrick is continuing his normal schedule during this time, which includes working on upcoming projects. The outpouring of support and concern he has already received from the public is deeply appreciated by Patrick and his family."
The 55-year-old actor, who shot to fame in 1987 chick-flick classic Dirty Dancing, before cementing his celebrity status in films such as Ghost (1990) and Point Break (1991), is currently continuing to work on projects -- like TV-Movie The Beast and Powder Blue, alongside Jessica Biel, Ray Liotta and Forest Whittaker.
