SHANGHAI: The sudden death of Chen Xiaoxu, the actress famous for the role of Lin Daiyu in the hit TV series "A Dream of the Red Mansions", has drawn greater public attention to the dangers of breast cancer.

Chen died of breast cancer in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, on May 13. A memorial was held at the Shenzhen Funeral Home on May 17.

According to Today Morning Post, many women, especially white collar office workers, only suddenly realized the dangers of breast cancer after hearing about Chen's death. The paper said major hospitals in Zhejiang had witnessed a 10 percent increase in visits to the general surgery department. Most of the female visitors wanted their breasts checked.

A hospital in Zhejiang received about 200 visitors on May 16, according to the Hangzhou-based newspaper, and about 70 percent had come to check about breast diseases, 10 percent more than usual.

"She was an idol for a whole generation," Lucy Sui, a white collar worker from Shanghai, said.

Her death is shocking. "I've had lobular hyperplasia before. Maybe I should go to the doctors one of these days."

Chen was the focus of public attention a few months ago when she announced that she had decided to become a Buddhist nun. She had become a successful business woman in advertising, but quit the business after learning of her illness.

According to media reports, Chen was in the late stages of breast cancer when she was diagnosed.

Dr Xu Haibin from the Hangzhou TCM Hospital said that no preventative measures can be taken to avoid breast cancer, but recommended regular check-ups to detect and treat abnormalities much earlier.

It is difficult to find the breast tumors through ordinary X-ray scan, according to Shanghai Cancer Hospital, but new scanning equipment was recently introduced, allowing earlier detection more possible.

Breast cancer is the second highest fatal disease for women in China. The occurance rate has tripled in the past five years, especially in big cities such as Shanghai and Beijing.

Shanghai Cancer Hospital recommended that women check their breasts every month, and consult a doctor if they find anything out of the ordinary.

Source: China Daily