ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - More doubt was cast Friday on whether all patients affected by Newfoundland's botched breast-cancer testing scandal have been notified despite assurances by the province two months ago they would be contacted immediately.
A health board at the centre of an inquiry into the botches testing issued a brief statement to say a second patient diagnosed with the disease years ago wasn't notified of the results of their reviewed breast-cancer test until this week.
The revelation came one day after Eastern Health said a woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer between 1997 and 2005 also didn't receive her test result until this week.
"The whole story is a tragic story and obviously another person directly affected is tragic,'' said Peter Dawe, executive director of the Newfoundland and Labrador division of the Canadian Cancer Society.
"It's quite apparent that the practice for contacting individuals left a lot to be desired and that there's still people out there with the possibility that they don't have the accurate information on this.''
It remained unclear whether any of the tests -- which are considered critical in evaluating treatment options for breast-cancer patients -- was flawed. Eastern Health did not return requests seeking comment.
"The delay in receiving the retest results was due to miscommunication with regard to followup procedures,'' Pat Pilgrim, Eastern Health's chief operating officer for cancer care, said in the statement.
"The respective regional health authorities are currently following up with these patients to offer any further assistance that may be required. Out of respect for this process, Eastern Health cannot provide any further information at this time.''
The announcement is the latest setback for Eastern Health, which has been under growing public scrutiny for nearly a year since court documents revealed that more than 300 patients received the wrong results on their breast-cancer tests.
Dawe said he takes some consolation in that it appears Eastern Health is taking a closer look at informing patients of their breast-cancer test results.
"But obviously, it's quite disappointing,'' he said.
In February, Health Minister Ross Wiseman said there were 35 patients whose breast-cancer tests were redone but not informed about that. At the time he said those patients would be contacted immediately.
Wiseman, testifying Friday at the inquiry, conceded he should not have made claims in May 2007 that all patients whose breast-cancer tests were redone had been notified.
"In retrospect now, I should not have repeated it as frequently or for such an extended period of time as I did,'' Wiseman said.
But he said he did so based on "emphatic'' assurances from Eastern Health, despite accounts from patients and the news media suggesting otherwise.
Wiseman also said that provincial cabinet ordered Eastern Health to fully disclose to the news media what it knew about breast-cancer testing errors after court documents filed as part of a class-action lawsuit revealed in May 2007 the extent of the mistakes.
"What was it that they weren't doing that government felt they should be doing?'' inquiry counsel Sandra Chaytor asked.
"Eastern Health had made a public commentary in December and they hadn't provided full information that was available to them at that time, and that was inappropriate,'' Wiseman said.
"Now there was a desire to make that right, so let's make it right by providing a more detailed disclosure.''
In December 2006, Eastern Health held a briefing for the news media but did not fully explain what went wrong with the breast-cancer tests.
The inquiry, launched last year, is looking into why nearly 400 patients received the wrong results on their breast-cancer tests and whether Eastern Health or any other responsible authorities responded to them and the public in an appropriate and timely manner.
The inquiry is focusing on hormone-receptor tests, which are used by doctors to determine the course of treatment for breast-cancer patients.
If patients are found to be estrogen- and/or progesterone-positive, they may respond to hormone therapy such as Tamoxifen. If not, they may be given a range of other treatments, or no treatment at all, depending on the characteristics of the patient's cancer.
