LANSING – State Rep. Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) offered testimony today before the Senate Health Policy Committee to support Senate Bill 879, which would provide women with better information about dense breast tissue in order to combat breast cancer. The bill is similar to House Bill 4260, which Brinks introduced last year, but has stalled in the House Health Policy Committee.

“This proposal gives women the information they need to get accurate breast cancer screenings and fight against this deadly disease,” Brinks said. “I am committed to helping women stay healthy, and that is why I introduced this proposal a year ago. I’m glad to put my support behind the Senate version of this plan, and I look forward to seeing it signed into law.”

Similar to Brinks’ bill, SB 879 would require health care providers to notify women when their mammogram determines they have dense breast tissue. This kind of tissue isn’t rare, but it is more likely to both develop tumors and make those tumors more difficult to detect on a mammogram. If a woman is found to have dense breast tissue, the bill would require a health care provider to give the patient information about dense breast tissue and encourage her to consult with her doctor about other, more effective cancer screening options.

“This is an important bill that will give women another weapon in the war against breast cancer,” Brinks said. “Too many Michigan wives, mothers, sisters and daughters have fallen to this disease. I’m committed to equipping women with the information they need to make good healthcare decisions so they can catch cancer early, when it can most effectively be treated.”