By Ryan Parsons | Image property of respective holders, AP
Patrick Swayze
Sad news to kick off the week. It just so happens that I had a long conversation over the weekend with somebody concerning both Patrick Swayze and pancreatic cancer. The center of the discussion was how well Swayze was fighting the disease. One of the most deadly of cancers, lasting over 20 months was a feat within itself. But alas it wasn't to last, as Patrick Swayze succumbed to his disease today and died at age 57.
RIP: Patrick Swayze
"Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully today with family at his side after facing the challenges of his illness for the last 20 months," his publicist, Annett Wolf, said in a statement Monday evening. Swayze died in Los Angeles.
Back in March of 2008 Patrick Swayze announced that he was diagnosed (earlier) with pancreatic cancer; a cancer that I'm fairly certain is unbeatable in the long run. The actor noticed a problem after feeling pain in his side whenever he drank champagne.
Even though he was in treatment, Swayze continued to work on his A&E series, The Beast. In order to work properly and memorize lines, the actor refused to use painkilling drugs. The diagnosis was grim, sure, but Swayze remained optimistic and repeatedly suggested that his aim was to last long enough for a cure.
"I'd say five years is pretty wishful thinking," Swayze told ABC's Barbara Walters in early 2009. "Two years seems likely if you're going to believe statistics. I want to last until they find a cure, which means I'd better get a fire under it."
Swayze's old co-workers and other entertainment professionals have recently spoken out after news of his death broke out. Some names include Larry King, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, who co-starred with Swayze in Ghost, and C. Thomas Howell.
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