Oh heck, I'm so sad to read this news. I LOVED Patrick in Dirty Dancing, one of my all-time-favorite movies!
My FIL was stricken with pancreatic cancer...it's nasty...he had an operation and treatments and battled it bravely for 10 months before it finally took him.
I think what Toni posted about pancreatic cancer being basicly unbeatable is right...remissions happen, but I don't think you ever really "win" this particular cancer battle.
Isn't pancreatic cancer what Michael Landon also died from?