Five women initially given the all-clear prompted a major review after tests later confirmed they had cancerous lesions, the Isle of Man Examiner revealed this week.

That review has looked at more than 1,200 cases seen by a radiologist no longer working at Noble’s and who has now been referred to the General Medical Council.

The Examiner spoke to one woman who was given the all-clear by the radiologist at the centre of the scare but was found at a subsequent routine screening to have breast cancer.

She has criticised the level of support she has received from hospital management.

’My partner and I were trying to get our heads around the fact that not only did I have breast cancer but that they had missed it. But I had no contact from anybody - nothing,’ said the woman, whose case came to light two months after the health department first became aware of the serious concerns.

In the five cases that sparked the review, routine breast screening had revealed suspicious lesions.

The women were referred to a clinic for further tests but the radiologist gave them the all-clear.

However, their next routine screening revealed not only were the lesions still there but they were cancerous.

A spokesman for the department said: ’An initial review of five cases where there was evidence that diagnostic tests had not been carried out to a high enough standard led to the much larger review of the work of the radiologist concerned.’

The external review, carried out by radiologists at centres in the UK, has investigated the screenings of 1,213 women carried out between January 2015 and March 2017.

A total of 26 women have been recalled for additional assessment, which will show whether they need any further treatment.

Letters have been sent out to the remaining women whose cases were reviewed to assure them that they have no cause for concern.

Health Minister David Ashford has apologised to the women concerned.

He said: ’Every assistance has been given to all those women whose cancer presented after they had been seen by the radiologist whose work was at the centre of our review. Additional clinics are now under way for those women recalled. Any follow-up appointments or treatment required will follow swiftly.’