Yesterday the news came out that Patrick Swayze was suffering from pancreatic cancer and had just five weeks to live. His condition sounded dire and more like a hospice care situation than something he could possibly recover from. The National Enquirer reported this news with a supposed insider quote that “he was told he could have two more treatments, but his cancer was not responding. In short – they held out little hope for a cure .”

Then Patrick’s rep confirmed that he had pancreatic cancer to Page Six, and it sounded like it was just a matter of time for the beloved actor. Even People reported the dire prognosis for most cases, as described by the Mayo Clinic, that “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. Signs and symptoms may not appear until the disease is quite advanced. By that time, the cancer is likely to have spread to other parts of the body and surgical removal is no longer possible.”

Thankfully People and other outlets quickly updated their story with a new statement from Swayze’s doctor that the National Enquirer’s account was overblown, and that his cancer is limited and under control. He is expected to be back at work soon:

“Patrick has a very limited amount of disease and he appears to be responding well to treatment thus far,” Dr. George Fisher says in a statement. “All of the reports stating the time frame of his prognosis and his physical side effects are absolutely untrue. We are considerably more optimistic.”

The actor’s rep adds: “Patrick is continuing his normal schedule during this time, which includes working on upcoming projects. The outpouring of support and concern he has already received from the public is deeply appreciated by Patrick and his family.”

[From People.com]

I think we can all breathe a sigh of relief now, and thank goodness that the original report was wrong. Commentor Mairead noted that Steve Jobs was diagnosed with a form of pancreatic cancer in 2003 that he recovered from. According to Wikipedia, he had “a rare, far less aggressive type known as islet cell neuroendocrine tumor,” which sounds like it’s not the same as the health issue that Swayze is facing. Job’s tumor was removed and he has returned to health.

Please get well Mr. Swayze. Our thoughts are with you.

Patrick Swayze and his wife Lisa Niemi are shown at the premiere of Rocky Balboa on 12/13/06, thanks to PRPhotos.