Delta Goodrem, the teenage star of "Neighbours" and rising international pop singer, has been diagnosed with Hodgkins disease, her family says.
Goodrem, 18, whose debut album "Innocent Eyes" shot to the No. 2 spot in the British charts in the first week of release, is undergoing treatment in Sydney's St Vincent's hospital for the disease, which the hospital said was treatable.
"I want to assure all my fans that I will be fine, and I will be back just as soon as my treatment is completed," Goodrem said in a statement her family gave to her record company and local television .
Hodgkins disease is also known as lymphatic cancer because it starts in the lymphatic tissue where infection-fighting white blood cells are stored.
The hospital said that given the early diagnosis, the outlook for Goodrem "would be positive".
Goodrem has spent nearly a year on Australian television soap opera "Neighbours", which airs in nearly 60 countries including Britain, where it is a phenomenal success.
In the meantime, she has been building a music career.
The success of "Innocent Eyes" has drawn comparisons with one of Australia's most famous exports, singer Kylie Minogue, who also began her career on "Neighbours" and whose debut album also shot up in the charts 15 years ago.
Within an hour of the news of her medical condition, a fan forum on Goodrem's website at www.deltagoodrem.com had already received hundreds of messages of support.
"Dunno what we'll do without you, think we'd be lost without you," wrote one fan called Anthony, paraphrasing Goodrem's hit single "Lost Without You".
Goodrem, 18, whose debut album "Innocent Eyes" shot to the No. 2 spot in the British charts in the first week of release, is undergoing treatment in Sydney's St Vincent's hospital for the disease, which the hospital said was treatable.
"I want to assure all my fans that I will be fine, and I will be back just as soon as my treatment is completed," Goodrem said in a statement her family gave to her record company and local television .
Hodgkins disease is also known as lymphatic cancer because it starts in the lymphatic tissue where infection-fighting white blood cells are stored.
The hospital said that given the early diagnosis, the outlook for Goodrem "would be positive".
Goodrem has spent nearly a year on Australian television soap opera "Neighbours", which airs in nearly 60 countries including Britain, where it is a phenomenal success.
In the meantime, she has been building a music career.
The success of "Innocent Eyes" has drawn comparisons with one of Australia's most famous exports, singer Kylie Minogue, who also began her career on "Neighbours" and whose debut album also shot up in the charts 15 years ago.
Within an hour of the news of her medical condition, a fan forum on Goodrem's website at www.deltagoodrem.com had already received hundreds of messages of support.
"Dunno what we'll do without you, think we'd be lost without you," wrote one fan called Anthony, paraphrasing Goodrem's hit single "Lost Without You".
