LOS ANGELES - Pancreatic cancer is not slowing Patrick Swayze.

The “Dirty Dancing” veteran stars in the cop drama “The Beast,” which has just been picked up by cable’s A&E Network.

Swayze plays an unorthodox but effective FBI veteran who trains a new partner (Travis Fimmel) in his hard-edged and psychologically clever style of agenting while being pursued by a secret Internal Affairs team.

“I have searched for quite a long time to find a character that is this multilayered, unpredictable and downright entertaining as well as a project this current and cutting-edged,” Swayze said in a statement.

The statement did not address his health, but network executives confirmed that his doctors have cleared him to resume work. They have ordered 13 hour-long episodes to go into production this summer in Chicago, with a premiere set for early 2009.

Swayze, 55, was diagnosed with cancer in March, and has been receiving treatment at Stanford University Medical Center, near San Francisco.
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‘Dirty Dancing’ star Patrick Swayze is being treated for pancreatic cancer, his spokesman has said.

The actor had a very limited amount of disease and appeared to be responding well to treatment, according to Dr George Fisher, Swayze’s doctor.

The doctor’s prognosis was included in a statement released today by Swayze’s representative, Annett Wolf.

“Patrick is continuing his normal schedule during this time, which includes working on upcoming projects,” the statement said.

Swayze has two projects in the works, a film, ‘Powder Blue’, and a TV film, ‘The Beast’, according to the website imdb.com. Both are due to be released this year.

The statement said earlier reports that Swayze, 55, had a matter of weeks to live were exaggerated.

“All of the reports stating the timeframe of his prognosis and his physical side effects are absolutely untrue. We are considerably more optimistic,” it said.

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