Monday, August 08, 2005
Unprecedented rise in breast cancer check-ups after Minogue diagnosis
Kylie's ordeal boosts check-ups
Which only goes to show that public health educators are lagging behind in their media savvy tactics to reach women, and are wasting money with reasonably ineffective education campaign techniques.
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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 has said.
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 over 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 percent during the two weeks after the pop superstar's diagnosis was made public.
The number of women who made a booking for an initial, or first-time, mammogram rose by nearly 101 percent during the same period, the study found.
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.
Which only goes to show that public health educators are lagging behind in their media savvy tactics to reach women, and are wasting money with reasonably ineffective education campaign techniques.
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