Unfortunately, the news about beloved 80s actor Patrick Swayze being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer is true. The sad story was on every news channel and Internet news site by yesterday evening, and despite the overwhelming evidence I was still hoping someone would come out and infirm the story, branding it as a malicious rumor and nothing more than that. However, I'm sorry to report that the story broken yesterday by the National Enquirer is true: Swayze was indeed diagnosed with the terrible disease about a month ago and is currently said to be receiving treatment at Stanford University Medical Center.
The actor's representative issued a statement to gossip website TMZ, confirming the news but denying that the actor only has a a little over a month to live. "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 statement reads.
While I really am hoping that Parick's camp is not downplaying the severity of his disease, I have to mention that according to Wikipedia, "pancreatic cancer has the highest fatality rate of all cancers and is the fourth highest cancer killer in the United States among both men and women" .The average life expectancy of someone diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas is six to nine months, with only 4 percent of patients living more than five years. We should all keep our fingers crossed for Patrick Swayze to be among those 4 percent, and in the meantime hold him in our prayers and wish the best to him and his family. They must be going through a terrible time at the moment, and I think all the generous public support can really be of help. Stay tuned and we'll keep you up to speed.
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