Former Saved By The Bell star Dustin Diamond has undergone a first round of chemotherapy in his battle with cancer.

The 44-year-old, who played Screech in the kids comedy, was admitted to hospital in Florida earlier this month complaining of complete body pain and told doctors that he believed the cause to be cancer due to his family's health history.

Tests confirmed his fears, and according to TMZ, the precise illness is stage four small cell carcinoma - lung cancer which began with cancer elsewhere in his body.

Diamond has now undergone a first round of chemotherapy and is due for another session soon, with the publication adding: "His team says he will also begin physical therapy, and adds that Dustin is keeping a positive outlook and is looking forward to spending more time with his girlfriend."

Stage four lung cancer is currently incurable, although new treatments have come on stream in recent years that improve a sufferer's life expectancy; nevertheless, the five-year survival rate with the condition is estimated to be around 5%.