Photo: RETNA
The National Enquirer broke the news today that actor Patrick Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer which spread to his other organs. But Swayze’s doctor says reports that he has just 5 weeks to live are untrue.
“Patrick has a very limited amount of disease and he appears to be responding well to treatment thus far,” Dr Fisher said last night in a statement.
“All of the reports stating the timeframe of his prognosis and his physical side effects are absolutely untrue. We are considerably more optimistic.”
The 55-year-old star, most famous for roles in To Wong Foo, Dirty Dancing and Ghost, was diagnosed in January.
Swazy and his wife Lisa Niemi, who both have pilot’s licenses, flew themselves to Stanford University Medical Center in California on the weekends in hopes of keeping his chemotherapy treatments secret.
Swayze may have had part or all of his pancreas removed in an effort to save his life. Last month it was reported that Swayze had undergone surgery at Stanford hospital for a serious “gastrointestinal procedure”. Patients who have the surgery can expect a 5 year survival rate of 10%.
Swayze originally thought he was suffering from gastroenteritis after he began spitting up blood. Symptoms of pancreatic cancer tend to appear at a late stage when the cancer has already spread to other organs.
The symptoms include nausea, vomiting and severe upper abdominal pain that usually radiates to the back.
Pancreatic cancer is usually diagnosed in men 55 and older. The pancreas is critical to the digestive process and is also vital in maintaining normal blood sugar.
Why does the media do this? Killing off people is not funny in the least.
I had no idea people still put faith in The National Enquirer or any of the other rags that pay for gossip.
::sigh::
I am so glad this story is not all true. sometimes I wonder if a so called manager or agent make these things up to get a celeb in the spot light so they can continue to book them to do the rounds on talk shows so they (managers/agents) can continue to get their percentage. Shame on them.
Any agent who would make that up to further his/her client’s career is sick. Death is a taboo subject to be played with. Then again, with some agents the bottom line is the dollar—no matter how low they have to stoop.
I’m sure I’ve said it here before, but if I haven’t, I trust the National Enquirer. Before the internet they were THE source for the most invasive gossip and they are rarely proven wrong. Having lost my brother to colon cancer at the tender age of 30 I am terrified for Patrick. The treatment is horrible and final stages are 1000 times worse than that. I pray that the National Enquirer was wrong and there is a chance for him to beat this.
Bird, I am so sorry about you losing your brother to colon cancer. I would and I am sure the room would like to know. Did health care or the non existance of it have a role in his death? sorry to be so frank with my question. Regular checkups do help and so does having insurance. I am not being disrespectful with my question. People do learn things from other people. We are on the verge of electing a new president and we need to know what they are going to do with Americas health care issues and astonomical deducitables to pay before our insuance even kicks in.
Thats very sad, I hope he pulls through, my prayers are with him.
My prayers are with him and his family.
Anna,
The lack of health insurance wasn’t the problem with my brother. To be perfectly honest he ignored the early symptoms and didn’t go to the hospital until he was balled in the fetal position from pain and his stomach was distended. Then he didn’t like the chemo and stopped in favor of more “organic” remedies. I was so pissed at him for both of those things. Had it been caught earlier I think he could have beat it. As it was, he lived for 2 years after the diagnosis and he took that time to hang out with family and bask in our love. I miss him so much.
My prayers go out to Mr. Swayze and his family. The fact of the matter is, pancreatic cancer is extremely difficult to diagnose, partly because there are no effective screening tests at this time. Doctors say that usually, by the time it has been diagnosed, it has alerady progressed considerably and more often than not it is discovered “accidentally” (i.e checking for something else and discovering it. I am 33 and have already had a colonoscopy. Colon cancer runs in my family (maternal aunt). My doctor found a couple of polyps and those few days of waiting for the answer as to whether they were benign or cancerous were VERY scary. Thank God they were benign, but please believe I will be getting my colon checked every five years.
Wow I had no idea!! for someone to even say he had 5 weeks to live is sick, I love Patrick ever since Dirty Dancing!! that was my movie, it still is I hope he pulls through cause he looks real good & healthy I didn’t even realize he was 55!! I will keep him in my prayers!!
Ahhh Bird, so young, so young, we sometimes think certain disease are for the older folk, it just isn’t true.
I am hopeful that the National Enquirer is wrong and they need a bitchslap for saying so either way, Patrick and his family have enough to deal with without the death countdown, its just inmoral! Consider his family seeing that how horrible.
Bird, I’m really sorry to hear about your brother. Death, no matter how it comes, it difficult.
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I have a hard time believing most of what the National Enquirer publishes because I don’t believe in aliens, three-headed women, nor desert-dwelling man-eating Yeti. Every now and then they get a story right–which isn’t saying much since, even a broken clock is right twice a day.
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Patrick’s agent now says the reports are true. She supposeldy denied earlier reports because she didn’t know.
Patrick will be in my prayers.
My mother died of Pancreatic Cancer the same cancer as Patrick. We found out in July 2004 and by November 2004 she was gone to be with GOD. Pancreatic is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer. And like Sandra reported by the time that it has shown up on an MRI, it’s too late. My mom’s brother died of the same cancer is 2002.
Wow Kita,
I’m sorry to hear that your mom is no longer with you physically…
I love Patrick Swayze too (also since Dirty Dancing, then Too Wong Foo), and I hope he gets well…..
RE: the Enquirer…..They only got the timeframe wrong; if he did only have 5 wks to live, sure he’d have all those effects…….but they was on the money with the diagnosis.
You can’t believe everything you read in the regular newspapers these days….everybody’s coming w/half truths
Bsoul says:
“even a broken clock is right twice a day”
That is very clever I may have to use that(lol)
Permission granted, Peaches…especially since I borrowed it too!
:^D