Patrick Swayze is fighting pancreatic cancer, a rep for the actor has confirmed to Access Hollywood.
“Actor Patrick Swayze has been diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and is currently undergoing treatment,” a rep for the actor said in a statement released on Wednesday. “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 was the first outlet to report the tragic news, claiming the 55-year-old actor’s condition was so severe, he had only five weeks to live.
However, according to the statement from the rep, Swayze’s condition may not be as dire as what was initially reported.
According to the statement, Swayze’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.”
Despite the encouraging words from Dr. Fisher, oncologist Maurice Berkowitz told Access Hollywood the outlook for patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer is generally not good.
“Typically it’s not a slow growing tumor, so people develop symptoms quickly and, if left untreated, the symptoms get worse,” Berkowitz explained.
However, Berkowitz said there are new treatments providing hope to those afflicted with the disease.
“Some strides are being done and some people are doing very well,” he added.
According to the American Cancer Society, the one-year survival rate is 20 percent, while the five-year rate is only 4 percent, for patients with pancreatic cancer.
“Unfortunately, by the time most people [realize it], the tumor is at a stage where it cannot be easily taken out. So at that point, it’s looking at symptom control and increasing how long somebody lives on the therapy,” Berkowitz said.
According to The Enquirer, Swayze (the star of such films including “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost”) has been undergoing treatment at the Stanford University Medical Center. However, they also reported the cancer has spread and the actor has been told to prepare for the worst.
Dr. George Fisher will not be doing any interviews, Access Hollywood has learned.
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