One of the women affected by Ireland's cervical cancer scandal has reached an $8.76 million settlement with the Irish health service and US-based Quest Diagnostics, the Guardian reports. Emma Mhic Mhathúna, who is now terminally ill, was told in 2013 that her smear test was clear, it adds, when it was not.
More than 200 women in Ireland received misdiagnoses through a cervical cancer-screening program, according to the Irish Times. A 2014 government audit found that 209 women who were given the all clear on their smear tests by Quest, Clinical Pathology Laboratories, or an Irish lab were later diagnosed with cervical cancer, CBS News adds, noting that the women were not told of the audit. Eighteen of these women have since died, it says.
The findings came to light when Vicky Phelan found a page from the audit within her medical record in January, according to CBS News. It notes that Phelan settled with Ireland's health service and CPL in April for about $3 million.
In Mhic Mhathúna's settlement, the health service admitted liability for not disclosing the results of the audit, the Guardian adds, while Quest admitted liability in misreading the test. A separate Irish Times article adds three of Mhic Mhathúna's smears were incorrectly reported. Both organizations are also to send her letters of apology, it adds.
When CBS News asked the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services if it was investigating either of the labs, CMS said it doesn't "speculate on ongoing or forthcoming survey activities." CBS News notes, though, that the College of American Pathologists is investigating CPL because of the scandal.