A group of breast cancer patients has reached a $5.4-million agreement in principle in a class-action case against a dozen Quebec hospitals that was launched more than five years ago.

Lawyers announced the agreement in principle for the about 4,000 women, each of whom had waited more than 12 weeks for radiation therapy.

The proposed settlement does not, however, include any agreement on the standard of care. In addition to compensation, the women had sought to settle the question of how long is too long for patients to wait for prescribed treatment.

The trial in Quebec Superior Court began two months ago, and was barely underway when the two sides settled.

The case dates back to the late 1990s, when radiotherapy was so hard to come by that the province paid hospitals in New York and Vermont to treat patients from Quebec.

The women's lawyer, Michel Savonitto, said under the terms of the deal, the hospitals don't admit any wrongdoing and no standards will be set for starting radiotherapy.

“The hospitals don’t want to make any admission of responsibility, so that’s the term of the settlement,” said Savonitto.

It's expected the about 4,000 women would be eligible for compensation of between $350 and $1,000 each, if the Superior Court approves the settlement.