Thursday, 30 October 2008

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Patrick Swayze calls cancer fight 'a battle zone'

Actor still fighting disease

Patrick was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January

Almost eight months after revealing he has pancreatic cancer, Patrick Swayze says acting has helped keep his spirits up.

"How do you nurture a positive attitude when all the statistics say you’re a dead man?" Swayze, who stars in the upcoming A&E series The Beast, asked in an interview with the New York Times. "You go to work."

Swayze, 56, began filming the drama series in Chicago this summer. "I do find myself, at the end of the day, riding home sort of catching myself with a smile on my face," he said. "I'm proud of what I'm doing."

Though he is healthy enough to work, the actor (who credits his wife, Lisa Niemi, as a main support) admitted cancer has changed him. "It’s a battle zone I go through," he said. "Chemo, no matter how you cut it, is hell on wheels."

After losing weight battling his disease, he has regained 20 pounds with the help of "muscle-building shakes" and working 12-hour days, reports the Times.

Swayze says his health crisis has inspired him to think about what he can do in the future. "I've made a pretty decent mark so far – nothing to scoff at," he said. "But it does make you think: Wait a minute. There’s more I want to do. Lots more. Get on with it."

Jennifer Wren