Patrick Swayze’s Widow Reflects His Cancer, Demi Moore Speaks About Breast Cancer and More

Patrick Swayze's widow reflected upon the time they found out about his pancreatic cancer.

Patrick Swayze’s widow reflected on his cancer diagnosis.

Patrick Swayze’s widow, Lisa Niemi Swayze, 67, recently reflected upon her late husband’s cancer diagnosis, including when he first told her that he was sick.

In a podcast with Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes, Lisa revealed how Swayze approached her after receiving his cancer diagnosis.

“When he first found out he had pancreatic cancer, he turned to me and said, ‘I’m a dead man,’” Lisa said during the podcast. “I didn’t know much about pancreatic cancer, but he did, and from what he knew anytime you heard someone had had pancreatic cancer, it was like, ‘Well, he’s out of here.’”

She recalled learning about Swayze’s cancer hours before he found out, notably because he was “disoriented” after the endoscopic procedure to confirm his pancreatic cancer.

“Sure enough, the doctor said you can go ahead and treat [the cancer] and be as aggressive as you want but do think about getting your affairs in order sooner rather than later,” Lisa explained.

During the podcast, Lisa described the day she spent with Swayze shortly after he received his diagnosis. The two stayed together on their ranch in New Mexico and talked about having one last camping trip together before he died.

She recalled that they were “walking along. It [was] a beautiful day and he looked at me with tears in his eyes, he said, ‘I want to live.’”

Demi Moore’s aunt helped her persevere through family health struggles.

Actress and film producer Demi Moore spoke about how her aunt, a breast cancer survivor, taught her how to change her attitude regarding health struggles.

Moore attended a breast cancer research gala with her aunt, where she spoke with Entertainment Tonight.

“I am here tonight with my aunt who is a breast cancer survivor and she has been cancer-free for 18 years,” Moore told ET. “I look at the incredible courage that she held and faced and also the attitude that she had as she faced this, and it was a fearless attitude with faith.”

Moore explained that her aunt’s attitude toward cancer and entering remission has been “a light” for her throughout her life. Her aunt’s inspiring attitude was especially impactful when her mother, Virginia Guynes, died from brain cancer in 1998, she told ET.

Now, Moore aims to promote and work with breast cancer charities to seek a cure.

Former Marine celebrated cancer remission with a 10-hour swim.

Michael LaBarge, a retired Marine and brain cancer survivor, celebrated his remission anniversary with a 10-hour swim.

He received a diagnosis of stage 4 glioblastoma multiforme 21 years ago on April 2, according to KKTV.

“The prognosis was two weeks to 10 months … 21 years ago,” he said to KKTV. “I did this a lot in the Marines. [Today,] I started at 6 a.m., stopping at 4 p.m.”

He encouraged other patients with cancer to “stay active.”

“Hopefully, this will inspire people with cancer to get out, stay active and don’t get too down on themselves,” he said.

Jazz drummer, Albert Heath, died from leukemia.

Albert Heath, a virtuoso jazz drummer, died at age 88 from leukemia in the hospital, his stepson Curt Flood Jr. said, according to The New York Times.

The drummer previously collaborated with saxophonist John Coltrane and pianist and songwriter Nina Simone.

In 2020, Heath was named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was an honor his brothers had previously received.

During the mid-70s, Heath and his two brothers worked together as a band, called the Heath Brothers.

Percy, one of Heath’s brothers, died in 2005 from bone cancer at the age of 81, The New York Times reported at the time.

For more news on cancer updates, research and education, don’t forget to subscribe to CURE®’s newsletters here.