LOS ANGELES (AFP) — American actor Patrick Swayze, best known for his roles in the movies "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost," has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, People magazine reported on Wednesday.
"Patrick has a very limited amount of disease and he appears to be responding well to treatment thus far," Swayze's doctor, George Fisher, was quoted as saying.
"All of the reports stating the time frame of his prognosis and his physical side effects are absolutely untrue. We are considerably more optimistic."
George appeared to be responding to rumors that began circulating on the Internet early Wednesday, alleging that the 55-year-old actor was in serious condition and had just weeks to live.
Swayze's representative said the actor, who was voted Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine in 1991, was "continuing his normal schedule during this time, which includes working on upcoming projects."
The popular leading hunk appeared in a slew of movies in the 1980s and 1990s, including "Youngblood," "Red Dawn," "Road House" and "Point Break."
Tabloids including the National Enquirer and New York Post first reported Swayze's diagnosis, with both describing it as more serious than the actor's representatives let on.
"Pancreatic cancer spreads rapidly and is seldom detected in its early stages, which is a major reason why it's a leading cause of cancer death," the US-based Mayo Clinic says on its web site, calling it "one of the most serious of cancers."
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