Patrick Swayze's elderly mother has spoken out about her son’s battle with pancreatic cancer, insisting he "doesn't deserve" the illness.

The Dirty Dancing actor was recently revealed to be undergoing chemotherapy for the potentially life-threatening disease, with a U.S. tabloid claiming he had just weeks to live.

Voicing her fears for her 55-year-old son, Patsy Swayze, 81, says: "He doesn't deserve to get this. He just doesn't deserve it.

"He's got such a big heart. He's been such a good and generous and thoughtful person. It breaks my heart to know he's suffering.

"But he bears it and he's determined to beat this. He's hanging in there and getting the best treatment he can."

The Sun is reporting this morning that Patrick is taking an experimental drug in a bid to save his life.

It's believed he has been unable to stamp out his smoking habit, which has been linked to a third of pancreatic cancers.