A GORING hospital has reported a 150 per cent increase in women booking cervical cancer screening appointments in the last four months.
A doctor from Goring Hall in Bodiam Avenue, said there had also been a 121 per cent increase in women making enquiries about cervical cancer.
The figures come in the wake of the death of reality TV star Jade Goody, whose battle with cervical cancer has prompted many women to get checked for the disease.
Consultant gynaecologist, Heather Brown, said: "It is very positive that more women are enquiring about cervical cancer and how to get screened.
"For those who think they might be at risk but are hesitant to find out, they should know that cervical cancer, if diagnosed in its very early stages, in 95 to 98 per cent of cases, can be cured or managed, so it's crucial that women get regular screenings."
Miss Brown added that it is still quite a rare condition, with cervical cancer accounting for just two out of every 100 cancers diagnosed in women.
A cervical screen test is the most effective way of detecting any abnormal cells. Women aged from 25 to 49 are encouraged to get the test done every three years.
Since the introduction of the national cervical screening programme in 1988, there has been a significant decrease in cases of the disease.
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