Six women who underwent tests for cancer at the Midwestern Regional Hospital in Limerick were recalled for surgical review this week, it has emerged.
The Irish Timeshas learned that the recall was done at the request of the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa).
It is understood the women were told by telephone that there was no cause for alarm and that their results were just being double checked for completeness.
The recall comes as part of the final component of the investigation by Hiqa into the misdiagnosis of Tipperary woman Rebecca O'Malley.
She had attended the Limerick hospital in March 2005 and a breast biopsy taken from her was sent to the laboratory of Cork University Hospital (CUH) for analysis.
It was misinterpreted in the laboratory and she was wrongly given the all clear. As a result, her breast cancer diagnosis was delayed by 14 months.
Hiqa is looking at why this happened and as part of its investigation it looked at a number of laboratory specimens from other patients seen in Limerick but analysed at CUH at about the same time. It also looked at a small number of mammograms performed in Limerick at the time.
It is as a result of this work that it instigated the recall of the six patients. It is understood four of the patients have already been reviewed and underwent ultrasounds. The other two patients will be seen today.
The Health Service Executive said last night it could not comment on the recall.
"The Hiqa inquiry to which you refer is an independent one and, accordingly, it would be inappropriate for the HSE to comment," it said.
Hiqa, when asked to comment, said its investigation was ongoing but in order to reassure patients and their families, it was important to emphasise at this juncture, that "the investigation team has not identified any additional cases of undetected malignancy".
A spokesman for the authority added: "The main part of the investigation team's work is almost complete and we envisage publishing their report shortly".
This is the latest in a series of recalls of patients who underwent investigation for cancer in recent weeks. More than 100 women were recalled for surgical review at the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise over the past week and no serious cause for concern was found. But a separate review of more than 3,000 mammograms reported on at the hospital by Dr Ann O'Doherty found nine women had wrongly been given the all clear.
Another external review of specimens analysed at the laboratory of CUH in July and August this year by a locum pathologist who has since left the country also resulted in a number of patients being recalled to have their diagnosis reviewed. The HSE has not yet said if any of these patients were misdiagnosed but the report from the external review team suggested some had been.
Meanwhile, the State's new head of cancer control, Prof Tom Keane, was urged yesterday to reconsider allowing all cancer services to remain at Mayo General Hospital when eight centres of excellence for cancer care are established over the next two years. None of these are earmarked for Mayo.
Mayo TD Beverley Flynn urged Prof Keane to visit the hospital to see the excellent cancer services there for himself.