Patrick Swayze May Be Dying

I have a feeling that if this is not true, there will be hell to pay for the people at the National Enquirer. The fact is, ever since I read this particular piece of news, I've been telling myself that it's probably not true, that it's all a horrible lie and that the line of decency has definitely been crossed by publishing such a hurtful and deceiving innuendo. In an Enquirer exclusive, it is being claimed that the beloved "Ghost" and "Dirty Dancing" actor Patrick Swayze, who is only 55 years old, has allegedly been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and is losing the battle with the terrible disease. In fact, it is claimed that he only has a little over a month to live.

I know such a piece of news may come across as extremely disturbing, all the more so since if this is true, its release into mainstream media breaches what was left of the actor's privacy in a very abrupt manner. Also, I think the actor and his family should probably have complete control over how much information is made public and when, since this also affects the way in which they cope with the terrible situation. I repeat: IF this is true. If it's not, and I'm sure we're all praying it's not, then I hope we find out soon and the Enquirer will issue a public apology to the actor and his distressed fans.

The only reason we're running this story is that we feel that if Patrick really is sick, all his fans should have some sort of warning and some time to get used (at least a little bit) to the idea that they might lose one of their favorite actors. Not that any amount of preparation might take the pain away, but still, it's important to know what to expect. I was thinking back at the whole Heath Ledger tragedy in January, and I really think we should do our best to avoid an unexpected and tragic situation in which people are told the truth after the crucial event that could affect their lives already happened.

"Patrick, 55, has been traveling to Stanford University's prestigious cancer center in Palo Alto for radical chemotherapy, but his doctors are no longer optimistic that the treatments will be successful. [...] He received three doses of chemotherapy and the tumor shrank, but less than his doctors had hoped for - and Patrick was told he should prepare for the end. 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", an insider quoted by the Enquirer reveals. I'm keeping my fingers crossed this isn't true - stay tuned for more updates on the whole situation.