QandAs: Buzz

Does Patrick Swayze really only have 5 weeks to live?

Answer:
The publicist for Patrick Swayze says reports

of the actor's mminent demise are greatly exaggerated, although he did acknowledge in a statement in March 2008 that the Dirty Dancing star has pancreatic cancer.

Patrick Swayze has been undergoing chemotherapy treatments for pancreatic cancer since being diagnosed in January 2008. The actor, who is perhaps best known for 80s movies. He starred as a rebellious dance instructor in Dirty Dancing and a bouncer-turned-hero in Roadhouse.

In a statement, Swayze's doctors say his cancer was caught early and is responding well to treatment. Sadly, the statistics are not quite so cheery. About 90% of all people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer die within five years of the diagnosis regardless of how well they respond to treatment.

So while doctors for Patrick Swayze remain optimistic, the disease is quite serious and the long-term prognosis is sadly grim.