Two thousand women who have been screened for breast cancer are being recalled because of concerns over the accuracy of new digital X-ray equipment.
The hospitals involved are Bishop Auckland General Hospital, Hexham General Hospital and the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton.
The equipment was withdrawn after a single case in France suggested that in some patients, using the Agfa Embrace CR1A processing equipment might make certain abnormalities difficult to detect.
Doctors have stressed that the risk of cancer going undetected as a result of this problem is small.
As a precautionary measure, patients who have undergone mammography using this equipment are to be offered a further mammogram using different equipment.
The equipment has been in use at Bishop Auckland since June 2002, at Hexham since July 31 2003 and Friarage Hospital since 11 November 2003. Women seen prior to these dates, or since June 10 this year are unaffected.
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