Patrick Swayze believed he'd beat cancer

Patrick Swayze was convinced he was going to beat his cancer, despite being given no chance of survival when he was first diagnosed.

Patrick Swayze was convinced he was going to beat his cancer.

The 'Dirty Dancing' star passed away from pancreatic cancer in September 2009 at the age of 57 and while he was given no chance of survival when he was first diagnosed, he was sure he could conquer the disease.

His mother Patsy Swayze said: "It was a massive shock to everybody in the family when he found out. He was always so healthy. He had never had any serious illnesses or anything. We were all devastated.

"But he just kept working right up until the day he couldn't work anymore and he never complained. He never acted sad - he would go and do things and make personal appearances and people wouldn't know how much pain he was in.

"I knew - but he never talked about it. He was convinced he was going to live through it and never lost hope. He never wanted sympathy, he just kept going. Even when he was so sick he could hardly walk, you wouldn't know it. He never wanted to be a burden."

Patsy, 84, is still so devastated by Patrick's death and can't bring herself to watch his films because it's too hard to see him.

She told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "I don't know if I'll ever be able to watch them again - it hurts too much. You know you're not supposed to outlive your children. I still find it so hard to talk about his passing but, you know, he was so brave."

Patrick was survived by his wife Lisa, who he married in 1975.