Brown vetoes bill to warn women of breast tissue
Reporting from Sacramento — Among the dozens of bills vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown in recent days was a measure that would have required medical providers to notify women if they have dense breast tissue — a factor that could obscure detection of cancer on a standard mammogram.
The proposal would have required that women be told they might benefit from more screening, a suggestion that did not sit well with the governor.
“Such a notice must be more carefully crafted, with words that educate more than they prescribe,” Brown wrote in his veto message. Though he said patients have the right to information about their health, Brown suggested the bill, SB 791 by state Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), could create “unnecessary anxiety” in patients.
Simitian issued a statement Tuesday implying that he may bring the bill back next year in a slightly different form.
“The governor’s primary concern appears to be about the precise language of the notice proposed,” Simitian wrote. “Looking ahead, I’m hopeful we can find common ground. I truly do believe it’s a life-saver.”
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