Rise in mammograms seen after Minogue case

SYDNEY, Australia — Media coverage of pop diva Kylie Minogue’s battle with breast cancer prompted an “unprecedented” rise in the number of Australian women seeking early screening for the disease, the author of a medical study said Monday.

The 37-year-old pop superstar canceled her Australian “Showgirl” tour in May after she was diagnosed with cancer and underwent surgery to remove a lump from her breast.

A study published in the most recent edition of the Medical Journal of Australia examined the number of mammogram bookings made by women older than 40 at four government-run clinics that provide free screening.

Researchers found that the number of reservations made for breast exams rose by an average of 40% during the two weeks after the pop superstar’s diagnosis was made public, and that the number of women who made an appointment for a first mammogram rose by nearly 101%.

The study’s author, Simon Chapman, said the increase in first-time mammograms was “unprecedented,” despite years of public health campaigns advising women to seek early screening for the disease.

“Her situation obviously touched an awful lot of people,” said Chapman, a professor of public health at Sydney University. “I think that the way in which the publicity surrounded the announcement triggered a lot of identification and concern in people [who] hadn’t been screened before.”

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