Patrick's Fight
- Beloved actor Patrick Swayze died at 57 in 2009 after his battle with pancreatic cancer.
- November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month; this year, approximately 57,600 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
- A fighting spirit, like Swayze’s, can be helpful when battling cancer.
If you didn’t fall in love with Patrick Swayze when he taught Baby to stand up for herself in Dirty Dancing then you definitely did when he told Demi Moore in Ghost: “I love you, Molly. I’ve always loved you.” The actor fought hard for that role in Ghost, just as we know how he courageously battled pancreatic cancer. He died at 57 in 2009.
Related: Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Just Became a Lot More Accessible; New Platform Is Designed to Test Multiple Therapies at the Same Time
Swayze’s widow, Lisa Niemi, talked to Yahoo Entertainment about how he was cast in Ghost, “He had to fight for that role…The studio wanted Harrison Ford in this so badly,” said Niemi. “And I did, too. I loved Harrison Ford. They took him out to lunch, and he was very honest about it. He said, ‘Why are you making this? Is it a comedy? Is it a tragedy? It’s very weird.’ And a lot of people thought that, he was certainly not the only one that didn’t see how it was going to mix.”
Related: Heartthrob Patrick Swayze’s Widow Continues Fight Against Pancreatic Cancer 11 Years After Losing Husband: ‘Our Work is Not Done’
Swayze finally read the script after his wife did and she loved it for its “weirdness.” “He read it all in one sitting,” said Niemi, “he came out with tears in his eyes, and said ‘I have to do this movie.’” They both saw something in the script others missed: The opportunity for movie magic. The 1990 film remains one of his most iconic roles. His wife Niemi said that Ghost was one of his career highlights for the rest of his life. November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, and this month, we remember Swayze’s legacy, as well as the work that still needs to be done to fight this disease.
In a new video, Niemi discusses Swayze’s battle with pancreatic cancer. She shares how the actor passed away less than two years after he was diagnosed. Niemi acknowledges how research towards pancreatic cancer has improved, yet there is still much work to be done.
Patrick’s Pancreatic Cancer
Patrick Swayze was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in early 2008, and passed away from the disease in September 2009. He first started experiencing symptoms in December 2007. Swayze said he experienced some digestive issues and a bloated feeling for weeks. Pancreatic cancer is a particularly aggressive disease, and its treatment typically depends upon what stage the cancer is in when it’s diagnosed. It may be treated with surgical removal of the pancreas, radiation, or chemotherapy.
Related: Patrick Swayze Died 11 Years Ago From Pancreatic Cancer; Today We’re Encouraged By Others Battling the Disease Like Alex Trebek & Harry Reid
In the U.S. this year, approximately 57,600 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS), and 47,050 people (24,640 men and 22,410 women) will die of this disease. Detecting pancreatic cancer early is crucial, doctors say. Dr. Anirban Maitra, the Co-Leader of the Pancreatic Cancer Moon Shot at MD Anderson Cancer Center, tells SurvivorNet, “By the time individuals walk into the clinic with symptoms like jaundice, weight loss, back pain, or diabetes, it’s often very late in the stage of the disease. Each year in the United States, about 53,000 patients get pancreatic cancer. And unfortunately, most will die from this disease within a few months to a year or so from the diagnosis.”
Related: Mourning “Jeopardy” Host Alex Trebek After His Death From Pancreatic Cancer– Millions of Cancer Patients Were Inspired By His Courage
“And the reason for that is that most individuals, about 80%, will actually present with what we called advanced disease,” says Dr. Maitra, “which means that the cancer has either spread beyond the pancreas or into other organs like the liver, and so you cannot take it out with surgeries. Only about 20% of individuals will actually be candidates for surgery.”
Detecting Pancreatic Cancer Early Is Crucial
Swayze’s Fighting Spirit
The way Swayze fought for movie roles likely spilled into other areas of his life, too. Keeping a positive, fighting spirit while undergoing cancer treatment can be beneficial. A positive outlook may also improve your immune system, which helps when battling cancer.
Related: Learn to Accept Yourself — A Huge Part of Living With Cancer
Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, tells SurvivorNet that having a positive outlook truly matters. “My patients who thrive, even with stage 4 cancer, from the time that they, about a month after they’re diagnosed, I kind of am pretty good at seeing who is going to be okay. Now doesn’t that mean I’m good at saying that the cancer won’t grow. But I’m pretty good at telling what kind of patient are going to still have this attitude and probably going to live the longest, even with bad, bad disease. And those are patients who, they have gratitude in life.”
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
Patrick's Fight
- Beloved actor Patrick Swayze died at 57 in 2009 after his battle with pancreatic cancer.
- November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month; this year, approximately 57,600 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
- A fighting spirit, like Swayze’s, can be helpful when battling cancer.
If you didn’t fall in love with
Patrick Swayze when he taught Baby to stand up for herself in
Dirty Dancing then you definitely did when he told Demi Moore in
Ghost: “I love you, Molly. I’ve always loved you.” The actor fought hard for that role in
Ghost, just as we know how he courageously battled
pancreatic cancer. He died at 57 in 2009.
Related: Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Just Became a Lot More Accessible; New Platform Is Designed to Test Multiple Therapies at the Same Time
Read More
Swayze’s widow, Lisa Niemi, talked to
Yahoo Entertainment about how he was cast in Ghost, “
He had to fight for that role…The studio wanted Harrison Ford in this so badly,” said Niemi. “And I did, too. I loved Harrison Ford. They took him out to lunch, and he was very honest about it. He said, ‘Why are you making this? Is it a comedy? Is it a tragedy? It’s very weird.’ And a lot of people thought that, he was certainly not the only one that didn’t see how it was going to mix.”
Related: Heartthrob Patrick Swayze’s Widow Continues Fight Against Pancreatic Cancer 11 Years After Losing Husband: ‘Our Work is Not Done’
Swayze finally read the script after his wife did and she loved it for its “weirdness.” “He read it all in one sitting,” said Niemi, “he came out with tears in his eyes, and said ‘I have to do this movie.’” They both saw something in the script others missed: The opportunity for movie magic. The 1990 film remains one of his most iconic roles. His wife Niemi said that Ghost was one of his career highlights for the rest of his life. November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, and this month, we remember Swayze’s legacy, as well as the work that still needs to be done to fight this disease.
In a new video, Niemi discusses Swayze’s battle with pancreatic cancer. She shares how the actor passed away less than two years after he was diagnosed. Niemi acknowledges how research towards pancreatic cancer has improved, yet there is still much work to be done.
Patrick’s Pancreatic Cancer
Patrick Swayze was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in early 2008, and passed away from the disease in September 2009. He first started experiencing symptoms in December 2007. Swayze said he experienced some digestive issues and a bloated feeling for weeks. Pancreatic cancer is a particularly aggressive disease, and its treatment typically depends upon what stage the cancer is in when it’s diagnosed. It may be treated with surgical removal of the pancreas, radiation, or chemotherapy.
Related: Patrick Swayze Died 11 Years Ago From Pancreatic Cancer; Today We’re Encouraged By Others Battling the Disease Like Alex Trebek & Harry Reid
In the U.S. this year, approximately 57,600 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS), and 47,050 people (24,640 men and 22,410 women) will die of this disease. Detecting pancreatic cancer early is crucial, doctors say. Dr. Anirban Maitra, the Co-Leader of the Pancreatic Cancer Moon Shot at MD Anderson Cancer Center, tells SurvivorNet, “By the time individuals walk into the clinic with symptoms like jaundice, weight loss, back pain, or diabetes, it’s often very late in the stage of the disease. Each year in the United States, about 53,000 patients get pancreatic cancer. And unfortunately, most will die from this disease within a few months to a year or so from the diagnosis.”
Related: Mourning “Jeopardy” Host Alex Trebek After His Death From Pancreatic Cancer– Millions of Cancer Patients Were Inspired By His Courage
“And the reason for that is that most individuals, about 80%, will actually present with what we called advanced disease,” says Dr. Maitra, “which means that the cancer has either spread beyond the pancreas or into other organs like the liver, and so you cannot take it out with surgeries. Only about 20% of individuals will actually be candidates for surgery.”
Detecting Pancreatic Cancer Early Is Crucial
Swayze’s Fighting Spirit
The way Swayze fought for movie roles likely spilled into other areas of his life, too. Keeping a positive, fighting spirit while undergoing cancer treatment can be beneficial. A positive outlook may also improve your immune system, which helps when battling cancer.
Related: Learn to Accept Yourself — A Huge Part of Living With Cancer
Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, tells SurvivorNet that having a positive outlook truly matters. “My patients who thrive, even with stage 4 cancer, from the time that they, about a month after they’re diagnosed, I kind of am pretty good at seeing who is going to be okay. Now doesn’t that mean I’m good at saying that the cancer won’t grow. But I’m pretty good at telling what kind of patient are going to still have this attitude and probably going to live the longest, even with bad, bad disease. And those are patients who, they have gratitude in life.”
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
