Patrick Swayze, star of movies such as Dirty Dancing and Ghost, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Statistics from the National Cancer Institute say patients diagnosed with the disease have only a one-in-20 shot of being alive five years after the cancer is found. The patient advocacy group Pancreatic Cancer Action Network estimates the average life expectancy for a patient with pancreatic cancer at three to six months. Michael Landon of Bonanza and Little House on the Prairie died three months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. However, Swayze’s doctor says the 55-year-old Swayze has a limited amount of disease and is responding well to treatment. In the meantime, he’s continuing with his normal schedule, including working on the upcoming A&E TV movie The Beast.
