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Dirty Dancing heart-throb Patrick Swayze's diagnosis of pancreatic cancer will bring much-needed attention to a neglected disease, Australian specialists say.
The United States dancer and actor is undergoing treatment in New York after being diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas. Swayze's doctor has denied tabloid media reports that the 55-year-old's prognosis is poor.
"Patrick has a very limited amount of disease and he appears to be responding well to treatment thus far. All of the reports stating the timeframe of his prognosis and his physical side-effects are absolutely untrue," said Dr George Fisher, physician to Swayze, star of the 1987 movie musical Dirty Dancing and 1990 tear-jerker romance Ghost.
The Cancer Council NSW said the actor's diagnosis might bring much-needed attention to a poorly recognised cancer.
