Patrick Swayze, the dancer and star of such hit films as Dirty Dancing and Ghost, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, published reports said on Wednesday.
Swayze, 55, was diagnosed with cancer more than a month ago, the New York Post reported on its Web site, citing a representative for the actor.
The Post story follows similar reports in the tabloid press. Swayze's spokeswoman declined to comment to Reuters. No further details were available.
Swayze, 55, is best known for his role as dance instructor Johnny Castle opposite Jennifer Grey's character, infatuated teenager Frances "Baby" Houseman, in the 1987 movie musical Dirty Dancing.
The film, which centers on an unlikely romance between the pair at a 1960s resort in the Catskills of New York, defied expectations to become a massive hit, earning both actors Golden Globe Award nominations.
Swayze performed the song She's Like the Wind for the movie's soundtrack and his signature line, "Nobody puts Baby in the corner," has become a pop culture staple
Dirty Dancing, which also featured the Oscar-winning song (I've Had) The Time of My Life -- remains widely popular two decades later and is replayed almost constantly on TV in the United States.
Swayze went on to star alongside Demi Moore in the 1990 tear-jerker romance Ghost, which also became a huge box office hit and was nominated for an Academy Award for best picture.
{{/usCountry}}Swayze went on to star alongside Demi Moore in the 1990 tear-jerker romance Ghost, which also became a huge box office hit and was nominated for an Academy Award for best picture.
{{/usCountry}}The Texas-born Swayze, whose dancer-choreographer mother owned a Houston ballet studio, began performing at an early age and got his start in show business as a dancer and on the stage before landing film and TV roles in Hollywood.