That Happened!

Los Angeles (That Happened!) - Patrick Swayze, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January, isn’t taking it easy.

In his first interview since revealing his condition to the public, Swayze told The New York Times that his struggle with the disease is a constant battle.

“I just love to work hard,” the actor said. “I’m still fine to work, I haven’t changed — oh, I have changed, what am I saying? It’s a battle zone I go through. Chemo, no matter how you cut it, is hell on wheels.”

After suffering from month-long health issues, the actor learned his fate — two weeks after production wrapped on the pilot of A&E’s The Beast. While that would have brought many people down (pancreatic cancer has a five per cent survival rate), Swayze didn’t let that happen.

“How do you nurture a positive attitude when all the statistics say you’re a dead man?” asked the Dirty Dancing and Ghost star rhetorically. “You go to work.”

Fast-forward 10 months, and Swayze is halfway through production on his 12-episode first season, which premières in January, and has regained 20 pounds. He is still undergoing chemotherapy, but he is also on the experimental drug Vatalanib and regularly consults with a team of doctors.

Impressively, since production began, Swayze has only missed a day and a half of work.

“I do find myself, at the end of the day, riding home sort of catching myself with a smile on my face,” said Swayze. “I’m proud of what I’m doing.”