DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Senate panel has approved a bill that would require breast density data in mammogram reports be given to patients and physicians, a move that supporters say could help women detect cancer earlier. The bill approved Wednesday by a human resources subcommittee would require that patients be told if they have a certain density of breast tissue. Advocates of the proposal say such breast density can obscure early detection of breast cancer in mammograms. They say this legislation will help patients be better informed.

Several medical groups say they’re against mandating standards of care under Iowa law. Some say the information could lead anxious patients to undergo unnecessary and costly additional testing. Similar legislation has failed to advance in previous sessions. The bill now goes to a full committee.