Kylie Minogue prompts women to cure breast cancer

After a world-famous Australian-born pop star Kylie Minogue has recovered from breast cancer a number of Australian women, inspired by her feet, rushed to seek early screening for the disease.

During the two weeks of coverage about Ms Minogue's diagnosis and surgery for breast cancer, overall bookings for screenings rose by 40 percent, with more than 100 percent increase in the age bracket of 40 to 69 years, who had never had a breast screen before, according to the study published in Monday's Medical Journal of Australia.

"A 100 per cent increase is absolutely unprecedented in the history of the screening program in Australia," Simon Chapman, the author of the study and professor of public health at the University of Sydney, was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

"So if there has to be a silver lining on Kylie Minogue's diagnosis it's that undoubtedly a large number of women have done something very positive for their own health." he added.

This could result in the saving of many lives, said Monday's The Sydney Morning Herald, one of the leading newspapers in the country.

The coverage of Minogue's breast cancer was notable for the way it portrayed her as "one of us -- almost as a favorite neighbor whom we would all want to support and see recover from her illness," said Chapman.

Minogue was first launched to international fame in 1988 with her song "I Should Be So Lucky," which topped British charts for five weeks, AP reminds.

Doctors who successfully removed a cancerous lump from the singer's breast in May said they are confident they caught the disease early enough to prevent it spreading.