Jennifer Grey, the star of 'Dirty Dancing', said that a pre-show health check could have saved her life from cancer.

Grey consulted a doctor to confirm that she was fit enough to take part in the hit reality dance show 'Dance With the Stars', which also stars David Hasselhoff and former US vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol.

"My neck was killing me, so I said to them, 'Let me have it checked out and see if I even can do this show'," The Daily Express quoted her as saying.

Grey had also been in an accident several years back, a mishap that had left her neck damaged severely.

"I went to this neurological spine surgeon who I heard was the best. He said to me, 'What's that lump in your neck?' I said, 'Oh, its just a benign nodule that I've been watching for four years,'" said Grey.

The doctor insisted that the nodule be removed and when it was, they discovered that it was cancerous.

Grey is now preparing herself for the high-pressure US show, where she is partnered with Derek Hough - the professional dancer rumoured to be dating Cheryl Cole. (ANI)