Patrick Swayze's widow talks about his death to Oprah

LOS ANGELES (Reuters Life!) - Patrick Swayze's widow, Lisa Niemi, will talk about loving -- and losing -- her Hollywood star husband in a live interview with talk show host Oprah Winfery due to be aired on Friday.

Winfrey's website, www.oprah.com, said "The Oprah Winfrey Show" interview with Niemi, Swayze's wife of 34 years, was her first one-on-one since her husband died in September following a 20-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

Niemi and Swayze co-authored the "Dirty Dancing" star's memoirs, "The Time of My Life," which went on sale late last month. In the book, Swayze, who was 57 when he died, said he had made peace with the notion of dying from cancer after initially finding his diagnosis a "cruel joke."

Swayze was diagnosed in January 2008 with pancreatic cancer, which has only a 5 percent, five-year survival rate.

While undergoing chemotherapy, Swayze filmed a new TV police drama series called "The Beast," which was broadcast in the United States earlier this year.

Swayze's storied career included runs on Broadway in the plays "Grease" and "Chicago." He also starred in the 1990 blockbuster "Ghost" and the 2001 movie "Donnie Darko."

(Editing by Belinda Goldsmith)