Patrick Swayze says that his chances of beating cancer within the next five years look slim but he is holding out hope for a cure.

The Dirty Dancing star - who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer early last year - opened up to Barabara Walters in his first interview since learning he was battling the disease.

"I keep dreaming of a future, a future with a long and healthy life, not lived in the shadow of cancer but in the light," he said.

But while Patrick remains hopeful, he is also realistic about the outcome of the disease and says it's, "pretty wishful thinking" to be cured within the next five years.

He continued, "Am I dying? Am I giving up? Am I on my death bed? Am I saying goodbye to people? No way," insisting that he was never on his death bed as some tabloids claimed.

Pancreatic cancer is a form of cancer which medicals experts say has a 5% five-year survival rate.