KEY POINTS:
Patrick Swayze has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but his prognosis may be more positive than previously reported.
Swazyze's publicist has confirmed the actor was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just over a month ago.
The publicist also released a statement saying the reported time frame of his
prognosis and the side effects were false.
The statement reads:
"Actor Patrick Swayze has been diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and is currently undergoing treatment." Patrick's physician Dr. George Fisher said. "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 timeframe 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 National Enquirer, who broke the news today, had reported the Ghost actor is suffering from a particularly vicious form of pancreatic cancer which has now spread to his other organs, and is not responding to treatment.
On February 5, New York Post's Page Six reported that the star underwent a serious "gastrointestinal procedure" at Stanford University Medical Center.
According to the Enquirer, Patrick - who is a fully qualified pilot - has been flying his private Beechcraft aeroplane to Stanford University's highly-respected cancer centre in Palo Alto, California, for radical chemotherapy.
However, the three doses of chemotherapy failed to significantly shrink the tumour, and doctors have now told the 55-year-old to prepare for the end.
A source close to the star told the Enquirer: "He was told he could have two more treatments, but his cancer was not responding. In short - they held out little hope for a cure.
"It's time to start praying for a miracle."
Patrick recently finished filming on a US TV movie called The Beast, in which he plays an FBI agent.
Sources told Page Six there were no problems, "health or otherwise," while Patrick was filming.
The Enquirer today reported Patrick - who is married to actress Lisa Niemi - has lost more than 20lbs in the last few weeks, and is surviving solely on a liquid diet as he is having trouble keeping down solids.
Sufferers of pancreatic cancer typically have a survival rate of less than 5 per cent, but as the cancer has spread to Patrick's other vital organs he has an even lower chance of beating the disease.
Patrick first shot to fame starring as bad boy Johnny Castle in the hit 1987 movie Dirty Dancing before going on to star in a host of hit films including Ghost and Point Break.
- BANG! SHOWBIZ/NZHERALD STAFF
