Patrick Swayze Diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer

The National Enquirer has reported that Patrick Swayze has Pancreatic Cancer and has five weeks left to live. The National Enquirer reported he was diagnosed in late January and the cancer has since spread to other organs.

It was reported by The National Enquirer that Patrick Swayze has been traveling to Stanford University's cancer center for chemotherapy, but his doctors no longer have much hope. Patrick Swayze received three doses of chemotherapy but his tumor didn't shrink as much as needed and Patrick Swayze was told to prepare for the end. The National Enquirer also reported that Patrick Swayze has lost over twenty pounds pound and is on a liquid diet because he can't keep solid foods down.

The National Enquirer might have sensationalized this story as both Patrick Swayze's doctor and mother have confirmed while the actor does have cancer it is not as bad as originally reported and Patrick Swayze is undergoing treatment.

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 time frame of his prognosis and his physical side effects are absolutely untrue. We are considerably more optimistic."

According to the American Cancer Society, the five year survival rate is only four percent. Patsy Swayze told E! News today her son was "sick", but refuted a report in the National Enquirer that the actor had just five weeks to live.

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."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.The National Enquirer exaggerated how long Patrick Swayze has left but it still doesn't look good for People's Sexist Man Alive of 1991.

Patrick Swayze currently has two movies in post production. The Beast(TV movie) about FBI agents produced by A&E and Powder Blue in which Patrick Swayze plays a sleazy owner of the strip club.