Farrah Fawcett is the latest celebrity to have her medical records hacked into and leaked to the press.

A Los Angeles hospital has now disciplined one of its employees for accessing the star's medical records without authorisation.

The news came just weeks after several employees were fired for taking a look at Britney Spears' files.

The 1970s Charlie's Angels actress, who is battling cancer, reported her suspicions that confidential details of her treatment were being exposed to the public.

Fawcett's lawyer, Kim Swartz, said a gossip magazine obtained and published details about a recurrence in Fawcett's cancer before she had a chance to tell family and friends.

"She's a very private person and she's reluctant to go public about this, let alone take legal action," Mr Swartz said. "She's fighting for her life."

One US newspaper reported that chiefs at the UCLA Medical Centre had sacked an employee who reviewed Fawcett's records.

But a spokeswoman for the facility would not confirm a dismissal or disclose the type of disciplinary action taken against the worker.

Doctors declared Fawcett, 61, cancer-free in February 2007, but her cancer returned a few months later.

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