Calif. woman presses for breast cancer law

San Jose Mercury News / Bay Area News Group: Is It A Woman's Right To Know She Has A Condition That Could Mask Breast Cancer
For seven straight years since turning 40, Amy Colton religiously scheduled a mammogram. Every year, the test showed nothing. Two years ago, however, the registered nurse was shocked to discover she was in the latter stages of breast cancer. ... Now she's even more shocked that California's powerful medical lobby is trying to block legislation that would require physicians to tell women if they have the condition, known as "extremely dense breast tissue." ... But the legislation has generated debate over whether too much medical information can cause unnecessary panic and force high costs on women, many of whom can't afford it (Harmon, 9/6).

Meanwhile, one well-known cancer patient relishes her survival.

The Washington Post: Author Geralyn Lucas Puts A Fresh Face On Cancer Survival
Before such celebrities as Christina Applegate and Sheryl Crow helped take the edge off the C-word, [Geralyn] Lucas was speaking out irreverently about the disease. ... Lucas leads a growing number of Gen-X and younger cancer survivors who are changing attitudes toward a disease that was once a death sentence but now has more young survivors than at any point in history. ... According to Rick Borchelt, the [National Cancer Institute's special assistant for public affairs], it's time for a new national dialogue about cancer, one that's not focused on "the cure," but on a future in which many cancers will be prevented, a slim few will have cures and the vast majority will be treated as chronic diseases much as diabetes and HIV are now (Wax, 9/7)..