Eastern Health confirmed Friday there are two breast cancer patients who received word this week they were affected by hormone receptor testing problems.

In a statement released late Friday, Eastern Health said two patients — one on Newfoundland's east coast and one on the west coast — received their retest results this week.

In the statement, Eastern Health chief operating officer Pat Pilgrim said according to the current database, both patients had been contacted in 2005. The delay in receiving the retest results was due to a miscommunication with regard to followup procedures, she said.

The news comes at the end of the third week of the Cameron inquiry, which began hearing evidence in St. John's about what went wrong with hormone receptor testing between 1997 and 2005.

However, the revelation that a patient was told only this week that her tissue samples had been retested came during question period at the house of assembly.

Liberal Leader Yvonne Jones said she heard the story from the unidentified woman's friend, but it was later confirmed by Eastern Health, even though health officials claimed more than a year ago they had contacted all the affected patients.

Peter Dawe, executive director of the Canadian Cancer Society's provincial division, called it a tragic story.

"I think the piece of good news is that it is being looked at even closer than it ever was," Dawe said.

The cases didn't come as a total surprise, he said. The Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information reviewed patient files when the Cameron inquiry was called in May 2007, and discovered dozens of women who might not have been contacted.

The Canadian Cancer Society's provincial division said Friday that it's still getting calls from anxious patients, even with all the publicity surrounding the tests.

"Whether they're positive or negative or unsure, people calling for family members, as well as people calling just for general information and not sure if they fall into that category at all," the Cancer Society's Emma Housser said about the people calling.

The Cameron inquiry is expected to last until July 30.