Battling with pancreatic cancer in its advanced stage, actor Patrick Swayze is a survivor of sorts! He has been fighting the disease for almost a year, even though most patients in a similar state generally do not survive more than six months or so after the diagnosis.

And the 56-year-old, 'Dirty Dancing' star is determined to fight on - even though it is a pretty daunting task in itself. Describing his condition, in an interview to be aired Wednesday night on ABC, Swayze told Barbara Walters: "You can bet that I'm going through hell. And I've only seen the beginning of it."

Ever since his staid diagnosis last January, this was the first interview by a rather 'bony' Swayze. He said it all began with an unbearable stomach ache that he experienced while celebrating New Years' Eve, 2007, with his wife, Lisa Niemi.

Swayze said soon he realized his health was deteriorating at an alarming pace. He knew something was drastically wrong, and his worst fears came true after doctors examined him.

The brawny actor was told that he had a malignant tumor in his midsection and a tiny mass on his liver. Subsequent tests revealed Stage 4 pancreatic cancer - a disease that is often fatal within six months!

No doubt the past year has been hellish for Swayze, but he is still looking ahead. He says: "I keep dreaming of a future, a future with a long and healthy life," thereby having "not lived in the shadow of cancer