Patrick Swayze diagnosed with pancreatic cancer

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Sad news:(

PATRICK Swayze's mother Patsy has confirmed the Hollywood actor has cancer, but believes her son has a fighting chance against the disease.

Patsy Swayze told E! News today her son, 55, was "sick", but refuted a report in the National Enquirer that the actor had just five weeks to live.

"I don't really want to talk about it, but I know he's sick," Patsy Swayze told E! News. "But he has great doctors and a great prognosis and that's all I can say."

In a separate statement, Swayze’s doctor also downplayed the Enquirer's report.

“Patrick has a very limited amount of disease and he appears to be responding well to treatment thus far," said Dr George Fisher.

"All of the reports stating the timeframe of his prognosis and his physical side effects are absolutely untrue. We are considerably more optimistic.”

"The outpouring of support and concern he has already received from the public is deeply appreciated by Patrick and his family,” his reps said.

According to The National Enquirer, the Ghost actor is reportedly suffering from a particularly vicious form of pancreatic cancer.

Swayze, 55, was diagnosed with cancer more than a month ago, the New York Post reported on its website today, citing a representative for the actor.

Swayze - who is a qualified pilot - has reportedly been flying his private Beechcraft aeroplane to Stanford University's highly respected cancer centre in Palo Alto, California, for radical chemotherapy.

The Enquirer quoted a source close to the star as saying: "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.

"It's time to start praying for a miracle."

The source said: "He looks terrible. We don't think he's going to make it. Patrick's family and friends are so grief-stricken they can barely contain their tears and anger."

Swayze - who is married to actress Lisa Niemi - has reportedly lost more than 9kg in the last few weeks, and was believed to be surviving solely on a liquid diet, the Enquirer reports.

Sufferers of pancreatic cancer typically have a survival rate of less than 5 per cent.

Swayze first shot to fame starring as bad boy Johnny Castle in the hit 1987 movie Dirty Dancing before going on to star in a host of hit films including Ghost and Point Break.

- with BANG Showbiz, Reuters