Pop star Kylie Minogue's breast cancer battle has increased the number of women having screening checks in her native Australia, according to a cancer expert.

Doctor Helen Zorbas has reported that the number of women who make regular appointments to be checked for the disease has risen dramatically - branding it the "Kylie Effect".

The Spinning Around hitmaker was diagnosed with the disease in 2005, and underwent surgery and chemotherapy before entering remission in October 2006.

Fellow breast cancer survivor Christina Applegate, who had a double mastectomy following her diagnosis in July (08), was also cited as a reason for the rise in women seeking checks. But Ward warns young women may begin to panic about a rise in the cancer - because several famous women have suffered from the disease in recent years.

She says, "You could be forgiven for thinking there was an epidemic among the young. It is important to dispel the misconceptions, address unnecessary alarm and provide the facts for this age group. The so-called 'Kylie Effect' led to an increase in the number of women who made bookings for mammograms but many of these women were in the under 40 age group, where mammographic screening is not effective." (MJ/WNWA/ZN)

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