UPDATE: BOTCHED BREAST CANCER TESTS; RESULTS DISCLOSED (CONTRARY TO EARLIER PRESS REPORTS); 39 QUEBECERS WRONGLY TREATED FOR BREAST CANCER;

"QUEBEC HEALTH OFFICIALS REVEALED THE RESULTS OF THE BREAST CANCER RETESTS ON WEDNESDAY, SIX MONTHS AFTER THE PROVINCE PROMISED TO REVIEW THE PATHOLOGY RESULTS FOR SOME 3,000 WOMEN IN THE PROVINCE.

OFFICIALS, INCLUDING QUEBEC HEALTH MINISTER YVES BOLDUC, SAID WOMEN AND FAMILIES AFFECTED BY ERRONEOUS TESTING WOULD BE FULLY INFORMED OF THE SITUATION. EARLIER MEDIA REPORTS INDICATED THE GOVERNMENT WAS NOT GOING TO CONTACT FAMILIES OF PATIENTS WHO HAD DIED DURING RETESTING FOR "COMPASSIONATE REASONS.""

CBC NEWS;

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Background: This blog has been following developments in Newfoundland, Quebec, and other areas of Canada which have been plagued by flawed cancer tests in order to remind readers that the problems in Canadian pathology are not restricted to its application in the criminal justice system - and the numerous miscarriages of justice involving Dr. Charles Randal Smith;

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"Health minister Yves Bolduc will discuss the breast cancer retests on Wednesday" CBC News reported earlier today under the heading "39 Quebecers wrongly treated for breast cancer" and the sub-heading "Quebec releases results of pathology retests ordered after disparities revealed."

"Thirty-nine Quebec women with breast cancer did not receive the right chemotherapy treatment because of erroneous pathology tests, the province's Health Ministry has confirmed," the story continues.

"Of those 39 women, five have died since the faulty tests were revealed earlier this year.

Quebec health officials revealed the results of the breast cancer retests on Wednesday, six months after the province promised to review the pathology results for some 3,000 women in the province.

Officials, including Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc, said women and families affected by erroneous testing would be fully informed of the situation. Earlier media reports indicated the government was not going to contact families of patients who had died during retesting for "compassionate reasons."

The treatment received by thousands of women was questioned earlier this year, after a report from a Quebec pathologist suggested there were disparities in their breast cancer tests.

Last summer, Quebec's Health Ministry confirmed that as many as 3,000 pathology tests done between April 2008 and June 2009 may have been mishandled.

The tests are done to determine the appropriate course of chemotherapy treatment according to the type of breast cancer.

After the government's admission, Quebec health minister Bolduc vowed to repeat the tests and keep patients informed.

The province's medical specialists' federation is already criticizing how Quebec has handled the retesting.

Federation president Dr. Gaétan Barrette told CBC News that the province's Liberal government wants to keep the results quiet to avoid potential lawsuits.

At least one lawsuit relating to the tests has been filed in Quebec."

With files from the Canadian Press

The story can be found at:

Ahttp://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2009/12/16/quebec-breast-cancer-test-results.html?ref=rss

Harold Levy...hlevy15@gmail.com;