ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Members of a class-action lawsuit settlement in Newfoundland and Labrador's botched breast cancer testing scandal will seek to have the $17.5-million deal approved in court next month.
In October, the province's largest health board and the law firm spearheading the lawsuit announced they had reached a settlement.
The firm issued a statement Wednesday saying the 349 class-action members will seek approval of the settlement in the province's Supreme Court on Feb. 2.
The application to approve the settlement breaks down the compensation into five categories, ranging from $1,000 to $75,000 depending on each class member's circumstances.
The lawsuit was launched in 2006 after mistakes were detected on hormone receptor tests, which play an important role in determining the most appropriate course of treatment for breast cancer.
A public inquiry last year found glaring problems within Newfoundland's health-care system led to the errors -- from the St. John's laboratory that processed the tests up to communication breakdowns within the provincial government.
At least 425 patients had their tests botched from 1997 to 2005. Of those, 127 have died according to an update provided by Eastern Health last July.
But it may never be known how many of them died as a result of missing out on potentially life-saving treatment because of inaccurate tests.
The settlement includes the establishment of a memorial.
Problems with the testing were detected in the spring of 2005, when doctors began questioning the hormone receptor test results of a patient with invasive lobular carcinoma, a form of breast cancer.
After retesting, it was discovered that the initial test result was wrong, as were those for a small sample of other patients.
Eastern Health subsequently halted testing in its lab and transferred its hormone receptor tests to Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. The health board then started a review of all hormone receptor tests from 1997 to 2005.
