New details are emerging about Patrick Swayze’s battle with pancreatic cancer.
Patrick’s brother, Don Swayze, describes the “Dirty Dancing” star as “a warrior,” in the new issue of People.
Galina Espinoza, a Senior Editor at People, said Patrick’s battle with pancreatic cancer began five weeks ago.
“He noticed that he had lost some weight and was looking a little jaundiced so he decided to go and get himself checked out,” Galina said.
Patrick is currently undergoing a four-week cycle of chemotherapy. He is also taking the experimental drug Vatalanib to cut off the blood supply to the tumor. Additionally, Patrick is on a high-fat diet to combat weight loss.
According to Galina, Swayze’s brother Don told People that Patrick was “unflappable” and that his immediate response to the diagnosis was, “What can we do to fight this?”
“This is a guy that tackles everything head on,” Galina explained. “He does not show fear.”
Don also told People his brother was hurt by the tabloid headline that claimed he had five weeks to live.
Don said, “He didn’t deserve that.”
“There have been a lot of rumors swirling that Swayze had lost all of his hair, that he had gotten really gaunt. None of this, says his brother Don, is true,” Galina recounted.
Though pancreatic cancer claims three-quarters of patients within the first year, Don said Patrick is doing amazingly well.
He has strong support from Lisa Niemi, his wife of 32-years.
During one chemo treatment, Don said Patrick told doctors, “You just wait! I’m going to be the guy that five years from now, we’re all going to be talking about this day.”
“He’s incredibly optimistic,” Galina said. “He’s fighting this with everything that he’s got and through it all he has his wife, Lisa, by his side.”
And Tom Cruise, who worked with Patrick on 1983’s “The Outsiders,” sends this message, People reported: “I’ve always known Patrick to be a good man, a fighter. We are all pulling for him and praying for a quick recovery.”
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