As followers of this blog know, I do not make it a habit to link to my columns in the print or web media. But I will make an exception in this case. Last week, I wrote in this space about the tragic death of Jett Travolta.

As a Fox News contributor, I reported on this death as well as Patrick Swayze’s cancer and pneumonia, just as I have reported on the illnesses of many other celebrities. I have been struck by how often the media distort these health reports, while spokespeople for the celebrity too often use exaggerations or fictions as a smokescreen to protect their client from media scrutiny. This might seem fair, except when you consider how many millions of us role-model our celebs, and even obsess on their health. When we are misinformed about our heroes’ health, we end up mislearning medicine, and an opportunity to inform the public about important health issues that may pertain to them directly is lost.

I am proud of the way I — and my fellow medical journalists at Fox — from our wonderful health editor Dr. Manny to the Ashtons to Keith Ablow to Isadore Rosenfeld, read through the tea leaves as best we can and come up with our best interpretations. We are not these celebrities’ doctors, which necessarily limits our take, and we don’t always have all the facts, but we do the best we can.

Anyway, here is my take in this week’s NY Post, click here.

Dr. Marc Siegel is an internist and associate professor of medicine at the NYU School of Medicine. He is a FOX News medical contributor and writes a health column for LA Times, where he examines TV and movies for medical accuracy. Dr. Siegel is the author of “False Alarm: The Truth about the Epidemic of Fear“ and “Bird Flu: Everything You Need to Know About the Next Pandemic.”  Read more at www.doctorsiegel.com

The other day, while watching television, I saw a promotion for an upcoming series on A&E called “The Beast,” starring Patrick Swayze, and I said to myself, “Wow, he really looks great.” I felt very happy for him since I knew that he’s been battling pancreatic cancer for quite a while.

I thought that Patrick Swayze’s presence back on television would inspire people — especially those battling potentially deadly diseases themselves — and make them feel better about their prognoses.

Several days later, I saw a tabloid headline saying that Patrick Swayze’s health may be failing, and he was preparing himself for death. I read the story and just as I suspected, it had no facts. And I thought to myself “What a horrible thing to do to someone fighting the battle of their life.” So I was happy to see that now many media outlets are reporting the story was false, and Patrick Swayze himself has confirmed that the report was peddling false information.

It really baffles me why some people just want to report negative news — many times even fabricated stories — especially when talking about something as precious as life.

One of the great virtues necessary in the complex treatment of cancer — and many illnesses for that matter — is the ability for patients to accept their situation, but to never give up hope that they will beat it.

There are thousands of success stories of people surviving cancer. If you look at the statistics of most early-detected cancers, the survival rate is well over 50 percent. Even pancreatic cancer could have a survival rate, in some cases, of up to 25 percent.

It serves no purpose to have reports like this circulated by misinformed individuals, because it’s not only hurting the patient, but also the people who love them.

Cancer can be a devastating diagnosis, but there are many courageous patients who approach it with a sense of optimism that although they are embarking on the fight of a lifetime, in the end, they’ll win the war.