Patrick SwayzePatrick Swayze’s mum and sister-in-law have spoken about the Dirty Dancing star’s courage in his battle against pancreatic cancer.

Patrick is said to be undergoing experimental treatment including radiation therapy after being diagnosed with the disease earlier in the year and even though he’s lost over a stone in weight over the last few weeks, his sister-in-law Maria Haapeniemi told Us Weekly that the actor is coping well: “I’ve never seen him scared of anything!”

“He deals with everything the same way: He’s determined, enthusiastic, full of energy and hope.”

Patrick’s mum Patsy added: “It breaks my heart to know he’s suffering. But he bears it. He’s hanging in there and getting the best treatment he can. He doesn’t deserve to get this. He’s got such a big heart.”

The actor was photographed on Monday for the first time since announcing his illness and has drawn criticism as he was smoking at the time - and around a third of pancreatic cancers are smoking-related.

A source close to the family added: “Patrick’s always been a heavy smoker and while he understands that he should really give up, he can’t handle that on top of everything else at the moment. Once he beats this thing, then he’ll give up to help prevent a relapse.”

Only around 5% of those suffering from the most common form of pancreatic cancer survive for five years after diagnosis but last week his doctor insisted Patrick is “responding well to treatment” and they’re “optimistic” about his chances.

His long-time acting coach Milton Katselas added: “If anybody can beat the odds, it’s Patrick. He’s going to end up inspiring us all.”