Patrick Swayze caught smoking on the set of 'The Beast'
By KORIN MILLER
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Patrick Swayze is still smoking, despite his battle with cancer.
The veteran actor, who announced in January that he has pancreatic cancer, has been photographed puffing away on the set of his new A&E TV series, "The Beast."
Swayze took a breather from playing an FBI agent who is investigated by an internal affairs team late last week to chat up two members of the crew as he savored his smoke break.
Swayze, 56, has been a smoker for years, and has admitted to blazing through up to three packs a day at one point.
The "Dirty Dancing" star came under fire in March after he was caught lighting up after undergoing chemotherapy treatment at Stanford University Medical Center.
Despite the smoking, the actor is looking healthier these days. After appearing gaunt at an L.A. Lakers game in May, a fit-again Swayze announced in late July, "I'm a miracle, dude!"
Recent studies suggest that smoking a pack or more a day can dramatically increase a smoker's risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
Swayze's rep had no comment on Monday.