Jade cancer 'diagnosed too late' (From Your Local Guardian)

Jade cancer 'diagnosed too late'

12:30am Sunday 21st March 2010 in Entertainment News © Press Association 2011

Jade Goody would still be alive if NHS medics had spotted her "quite typical" symptoms of cervical cancer, a private doctor has claimed.

In a programme to be broadcast on Sunday, Dr Ann Coxon said if the disease had been discovered three months earlier, Goody would have survived.

She said: "Had she had diagnosis two or three months earlier she would be alive today. It was just too late.

"It's understandable because cervical cancer is rare in people under the age of 30 but nevertheless the symptoms were quite typical of cervical cancer and the diagnosis was missed.

"Had she had a diagnosis at an earlier stage, her life would have been spared."

Goody's public battle with the disease led to an increase in the number of women having smear tests, which rose by 12% last year.

But charity Jo's Trust said on Sunday that the number is now falling again.