“Dirty Dancing” tough guy Patrick Swayze has been diagnosed with a potentially terminal cancer and might only have weeks to live, the star’s rep revealed yesterday.
Swayze’s publicist, Annett Wolf, confirmed to Page Six that he’s suffering from pancreatic cancer, which could tragically bring the curtain down on his remarkably diverse career.
Swayze, 55, was diagnosed with the illness more than a month ago. His doctor insisted his patient has a fighting chance for survival.
“Patrick has a very limited amount of disease and he appears to be responding well to treatment thus far,” Dr. Patrick George said. “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’s assessment stands in stark contrast to the outlook for most victims of pancreatic cancer.
The average life expectancy for a newly diagnosed patient is six to nine months, with only 4 percent of victims surviving more than five years, according to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
Swayze’s ripped physique made him a natural for bruising characters in tough-guy flicks like “Youngblood,” “Roadhouse” and “Point Break.”
But it was his striking good looks and fancy footwork that led to his most famous role – as sensuous Johnny Castle in “Dirty Dancing” in 1987.
“I’m shocked,” “Dirty Dancing” co-star Jennifer Grey told The Post upon learning the news. “That makes me feel very sad.”
Grey said she hadn’t kept up with Swayze in the years since “Dancing,” but fondly recalled their wildly popular movie.
“If I saw him on the streets today, I’d throw my arms around him and love him up,” added Grey, 47, who first teamed up with Swayze to fight invading communists in “Red Dawn.”
Swayze, the son of famed choreographer Patsy Swayze, capitalized on the romantic allure of “Dirty Dancing” to score big with “Ghost” in 1990.
The tearjerker, which co-starred Demi Moore, was nominated for Best Picture, and Whoopi Goldberg won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
Swayze and his wife of 32 years, Lisa Niemi, have been shuttling between their home in Los Angeles and Palo Alto, where he’s been consulting with Stanford University Medical Center oncologists, according to The National Enquirer.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Swayze had surgery for a “serious gastrointestinal procedure” in early February.
The actor reportedly has been on a liquid diet because he can’t keep down solid foods.
david.li@ny post.com