Swayze: 'Chemo is a battle zone'

Rex Features

Patrick Swayze has said that working while undergoing chemotherapy is like being in "a battle zone".

In his first interview since returning to acting, the 56-year-old, who is currently filming TV drama The Beast, admitted that coping with pancreatic cancer and continuing to perform is a struggle.

"I'm still fine to work. I haven't changed - oh, I have changed, what am I saying?" he told the New York Times.

"It's a battle zone I go though. Chemo, no matter how you cut it, is hell on wheels."

Swayze has only missed one day of work on the set and relies on "muscle-building shakes" to keep his weight up.

The Dirty Dancing star said that wife Lisa Niemi and his job keep him motivated after being diagnosed earlier this year.

"How do you nurture a positive attitude when all the statistics say you're a dead man?" he said. "You go to work."