Patrick Swayze Dies

Patrick Swayze has died tonight (Monday) after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. His publicist, Annett Wolf issued the following statement.

“Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully today with family at his side after facing the challenges of his illness for the last 20 months.”

Patrick Swayze will always be loved for two of his most memorable roles, in the movies “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost”…not to mention “Roadhouse” which seems to be on one cable station or another almost every weekend.

Swayze was diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas back in March of 2008. He kept on working anyway, shooting “The Beast” on A&E. It met with a great response throughout its 13-episode run, but A&E said it had reluctantly decided not to renew it for a second season.

Patrick Swayze decided not to take any painkillers while filming “The Beast” because they would have taken the edge off his performance.

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After his initial diagnosis, some accounts predicted that he had only weeks to live, but his doctors stated that his condition was “considerably more optimistic.”

“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.”

Patrick Swayze was 57 years old.