Posted by Paly Parent x3, a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Sep 24, 2012 at 11:18 am

Thank you Sen. Joe Simitian and Governor Brown for signing!

And, a SPECIAL AND HUGE THANKS TO Amy Colton of Santa Cruz! Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU!!

~ Knowledge is Power and I am so very thankful that I will NOW be better informed.

:) God Bless you All!

Posted by Sally Bemus, a resident of the Community Center neighborhood, on Sep 24, 2012 at 11:49 am

Congratulations and a huge thank you to Joe and Amy for your teamwork and determination in bringing this to fruition. I can write this note because I had the good fortune to have found my breast cancer tumor when it was in the early stages. I'll never forget the first meeting with my oncologist who assured me that with early detection breast cancer is one on the most curable forms of cancer. I hope this legislation will increase the survival rate for many more women.

Posted by Don't mix politics and medicine, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Sep 24, 2012 at 1:17 pm

Well meaning law. Inappropriate forum. Legislators should stay out of medicine unless absolutely necessary. Screening issues are complicated and should be based on well designed randomized patient studies, not anecdotal cases. Brown should have stuck to his guns.

Posted by breht, a resident of the Greenmeadow neighborhood, on Sep 24, 2012 at 7:48 pm

If a law is necessary to require doctors to provide notice of suspicious tissue, then this law is necessary. Obviously, "well designed randomized patient studies" missed Amy Colton's cancer. Why should she, or anyone for that matter be subject to gambling their lives on randomized studies by those viewing their test results? Obviously, law needs to be this much more involved in medicine, since the implication is that doctors don't always tell their patients the truth about their tests. Lumps are potential cancers.

Posted by Sharon, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Sep 24, 2012 at 8:21 pm

Many,many more women die of heart disease and lung cancer than of breast cancer.

This law will create much fear and many unnecessary treatments that have their own very high risks.

Medical decisions should be based upon evidence-not politics

False positive findings are a huge problem with breast and prostate tests

That is why the AMA now recommends against PSA tests for prostates

Because they lead to more harm to the patient than good.

Posted by Terry, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Sep 24, 2012 at 10:05 pm

If you don't trust your doctor to do the right thing without a State law mandating it, suggest you get a new doctor.

Posted by Perspective, a resident of the Greater Miranda neighborhood, on Sep 26, 2012 at 5:01 am

Well, what will happen from this? Every woman will be told she has areas of "increased breast tissue density" to assure compliance with the law and avoid lawsuits..and it will be meaningless.

Thanks, Simitian and Brown, for making a doctor's advice meaningless.

Posted by Jan H., a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Oct 10, 2012 at 2:35 pm
Jan H. is a member (registered user) of Palo Alto Online

Dear Joe,

I know you do not hear this enough, but thank you for a job well done