London
(ANI):
It
looks
like
Jade
Goody's
cervical
cancer
bombshell
has
raised
awareness
among
women,
for
it
has
led
to
thousands
more
women
getting
tested.
Since
the
former
Big
Brother
star
was
diagnosed
in
August,
smear
tests
have
gone
up
about
20
percent.
"I'm
pleased
my
cancer
has
raised
awareness
among
women," the
Sun
quoted
Goody,
as
saying.
"Hopefully
more
tests
will
save
lives
and
reduce
the
number
of
women
who
would
otherwise
share
my
pain," she
added.
The
increase
in
cervical
cancer
tests
was
compared
to
the
"Kylie
Effect",
which
saw
breast
cancer
awareness
raised
after
the
singer
fell
ill.
At
Sheffield
Primary
Care
Trust
750
women
a
day
now
have
tests
up
from
250
a
week
before
the
news
of
Goody's
fate.
And
Southwark
PCT
in
south
London
saw
a
25
per
cent
increase
in
smears.
Cancer
Research
UK's
Liz
Woolf
said:
"Jade's
story
made
a
lot
more
people
seek
information
about
cervical
cancer."