Tests in Quebec

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Dr. Gaetan Barrette, president of the Quebec Association of Medical Specialists, speaks in Montreal on Thursday, May 28, 2009.

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Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc speaks to the media about the report on Thursday, May 28, 2009.


Study shows errors with Que. breast cancer testing

Updated Thu. May. 28 2009 1:17 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
The president of the Quebec Association of Medical Specialists says the province has known for years about problems with breast cancer testing equipment.
Dr. Gaetan Barrette made the comments after a Quebec study revealed that 15 to 20 per cent of tests used to identify markers for hormone therapy were flawed.
The study also found that errors for up to 30 per cent of tests used to identify protein markers.
"The study shows there is no problem with pathologists themselves, there is a problem with the equipment and the processes by which pathology is practiced in this province," Barrette told reporters at a news conference in Montreal on Thursday.
"This situation has been known by government for years."
Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc said he just learned about the study and that there was a problem.
"We never heard about the study before," he said.
But Barrette showed reporters a document he claims to have sent to the government in 2005, CTV Montreal's Cindy Sherwin reported Thursday.
Sherwin said officials do not know how widespread the problem is yet because the initial test was small.
"They mentioned that this does not only apply to breast cancer patients but to any type of cancer -- to people diagnosed with colon cancer or brain cancer -- because similar pathology tests are done in all types of cancer," Sherwin said.
Barrette called on the government to implement a quality control system in place to prevent future errors.
He also wants the government to ensure that prior tests are checked to make sure they were done correctly.
The situation in Quebec is being compared to the botched testing scandal that was exposed in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Earlier this year, a judicial inquiry in Newfoundland found that nearly 400 patients received the wrong results on their tests.
With files from The Canadian Press