Patrick Swayze proves he's beating the odds in his cancer battle... but he's STILL smoking



When Patrick Swayze's cancer first became public knowledge, it was thought he only had months to live.

But the Dirty Dancing star has battled on, even visiting a shop to buy smoking paraphernalia with his brother Donny.



Despite the unhealthy cigarette he was smoking the 56-year-old, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer early last year, looked healthier than he has in months.

Defying the odds: Patrick leaves a Los Angeles smoking shop looking better than he has in months



He even appeared to have gained a little weight and had grown some of his hair back, including a new goatee.

Tubes thought to be catheters for his chemotherapy could be seen hanging in front of his shirt, but Swayze was smiling as he picked up a glass pipe from the Los Angeles store.

The pictures were a great contrast to photos taken in April, when he looked frail and thin.

Much improved: A skeletal Swayze in April, left, and smoking in his car last week



Early on in his cancer fight, many fans feared the actor would not last this long.



But it is thought he had an advanced form of radiotherapy which is offering new hope to sufferers.

The CyberKnife technique shoots hundreds of beams of radiation at hard-to-reach tumours.

It moves with the patient's breathing, meaning it can target tumours deemed inoperable due to their proximity to major blood vessels. The latest images of Swayze appear to show a distinct improvement in the actor's condition. In May the former Ghost star appeared frail and painfully thin during another outing and fears grew that he might not have long to live.

On the evidence of these images however it appears Swayze is not going down without a fight.