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New calls for Morecambe Bay breast cancer review

A consultant studying a mammogram (Library) Credit: Press Association

A woman whose breast cancer was missed by the North Lancashire and South Cumbria breast screening programme is calling for an historic review of cases.

'Lisa' was given the all clear in 2005 after a routine mammogram. Six months later it emerged her cancer had been missed. She was 37 years old.

Lisa said she was devastated: "My confidence was just destroyed, I just thought how can that happen?

"I put all my trust in people to look after me and then they report I'm fine and less than six months later I'm not fine."

ITV news obtained figures earlier this year showing at least 14 other cases were missed between 2005 and 2011.

We reiterate the apologies we gave in 2007 to the lady concerned when her mammogram was incorrectly interpreted – as we appreciate this would have caused her additional worry at an already distressing time.

We would reassure Lisa and the public that a review of the Breast Screening Service by national experts from Public Health England in 2014 determined that the service is safe and there are no concerns about film reading in the unit, which meets national standards with good overall cancer detection rates.

– Dr David Walker, Medical Director of Morecambe Bay Hospitals Trust