Albany, N.Y. (AP) - A bill awaiting Gov. Andrew Cuomo's signature would require health care practitioners to notify women whose breast tissue is dense, making it harder to detect cancer with mammography.
Supporters say 40 percent of women have dense breast tissue, which has less fat and more connective tissue which appears white on a mammogram and can hide tumors.
A bill passed recently in the Senate and Assembly would require that mammography reports inform women who have dense tissue and advise them to discuss additional screening with their doctors.
Connecticut, Texas and Virginia have similar notification laws. California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar bill last year and lawmakers are trying to pass it again. Some doctors oppose the legislation, saying the warnings could create unnecessary anxiety.
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