Posted by Bob, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Sep 10, 2012 at 1:54 pm

Let's see if Joe Simitian also tells the women of his district that mammograms might not be all that healthy--

Mammograms may lead to breast cancer "overdiagnosis" for some women:

Web Link

Posted by Jane, a resident of the Greendell/Walnut Grove neighborhood, on Sep 10, 2012 at 4:09 pm

There ought to be a law that requires physicians to notify men when they have dense brain tissue.

I'm all for the government supporting women's health options ans funding real care. But,why are women and specifically our breasts being singled out for legislation that has lawyers making medical decisions for physicians?

Posted by Sharon, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Sep 10, 2012 at 4:23 pm

There is an irrational focus upon breast cancer-and a very dangerous obsession with potentially toxic screening and interventions.

Many, many more women die prematurely and painful from

1/ Smoking related diseases-lung,head and neck cancers-etc

2/ Obesity related diseases-diabetes, heart disease-etc

Than die from breast cancer.

Male prostate cancer is a much greater public health problem than breast cancer.

The focus upon breast cancer is a matter of fashion, money and politics

-rather than science and evidence based medicine

Enough is enough

Posted by O M G, a resident of the Greater Miranda neighborhood, on Sep 10, 2012 at 5:18 pm

All I can say is O M G!!!! An elected official now wants to mandate what MDs tell their patients? O M G!!!

C'mon, folks..wake up!

Posted by Yona, a resident of the Meadow Park neighborhood, on Sep 10, 2012 at 8:09 pm

I think what Joe Simitian is doing - is good! These women might benefit from MRI's instead of mammograms, the question is who will pay for that. From what I understand MRI's are more revealing, and no radiation.

Posted by survivor, a resident of the Greenmeadow neighborhood, on Sep 10, 2012 at 8:17 pm

As someone who was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer less than 6 months after a mammogram, I applaud this legislation. Doctors sometimes are reluctant to admit that they can't tell from the mammogram whether or not cancer is present. This is a totally separate issue from that of which women should have mammograms, and how often. But if the test is done, then patients need to be told if their dense breasts make the screening virtually unreadable.

Posted by Sharon, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Sep 10, 2012 at 10:08 pm

The evidence is that such screenings do much more harm than good

“In fact, a high percentage of women who undergo screening experience false-positive test results and consequently may be subjected to unnecessary harms, such as major surgery.”

"The recommendations are just the latest in a series of challenges to cancer screenings issued by the panel, which has also rejected P.S.A. screening for prostate cancer in men and routine mammograms in women under 50.

The task force is a group of 16 experts, appointed by the government but independent, that makes recommendations about screening tests and other efforts to prevent disease.

Its advice is based on medical evidence, not cost.

The recommendations against screening for ovarian cancer were published on Monday in Annals of Internal Medicine.

But the warning is not new; the panel is reaffirming its own earlier advice."

Web Link

Posted by Sue, a resident of the Leland Manor/Garland Drive neighborhood, on Sep 11, 2012 at 12:31 pm

Really?? There isn't anything else that our legislators can focus their time on?? Isn't this something that should come from the AMA or some other organization of medical professionals? Ugh.