Swayze calls fighting cancer ‘a battle zone’

Patrick Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer 10 months ago, but that hasn’t stopped the actor from pursuing his love of acting.

In his first interview since undergoing treatment for the cancer, the actor told the New York Times his new A&E series, “The Beast,” is a victory.

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

Though the disease has a five-year survival rate of just five percent, Swayze has been able to battle the effects with chemotherapy, an experimental drug called Vatalanib and muscle-building shakes. The actor told the newspaper that he’s put on 20 pounds since his low point.

He might be battling cancer successfully, but the fight is far from easy, according to the actor.

“It’s a battle zone I go through. Chemo, no matter how you cut it, is hell on wheels,” he said.

So far, Swayze has missed only a day-and-a-half of work on “The Beast,” which could be a credit to the actor’s outlook.

“How do you nurture a positive attitude when all the statistics say you’re a dead man?” Swayze said. “You go to work!”

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