A Parma woman is hoping she can help move the needle in getting a potentially life-saving breast cancer screening covered.
For Lory Arthur, cancer is a familiar foe, and she said if she can help keep even one person from having to go through it—it's mission accomplished.
Arthur treasures the little things in life, including walks with her husband, Dennis, and their little pups, Tina Willamina and Sandy Anne.
It is the big challenges Arthur has overcome that have shaped her perspective.
"It was shocking, to say the least," she said.
At 17, Arthur was diagnosed with bone cancer. A knock to the knee led to the life-changing discovery.
"The minute he saw the x-rays, I think he knew," she recalled.
She underwent major surgery and months of treatment.
"The chemotherapy was, I classify, going to hell and back," she said. "I almost died."
Now, Arthur is 42 years cancer-free and wants to stay that way.
"I've lived a healthy lifestyle, that's important too, and includes getting your regular checkups, mammograms."
Arthur has now encountered her next big challenge in life: Being a healthcare advocate. It is something she said she never expected to do.
"No," she said. "Never."
Like Arthur, the CDC says about half of women 40 and older have dense breasts. It can make it harder to find cancer on a mammogram and is also a risk factor for developing breast cancer.
Dense tissue can hide cancers. The fibrous and glandular tissue looks white on a mammogram, and so does a possible tumor. Since it's hard to tell the difference between a tumor and dense breast tissue, a small tumor may be missed. So, additional screenings may be beneficial, like an abbreviated or fast breast MRI.
"I actually was angry when I heard that this was not part of preventative care," Arthur said.
Unlike a mammogram, a fast MRI is not currently covered by insurance. Women must pay out of pocket for the supplemental exam, which costs anywhere from $250 to $500 on average.
It is a price Arthur paid but doesn’t believe she and other women with dense breasts should have to.
"There are people who are not taking these services because they don't have the financial means," she said.
So, Arthur took action.
First, she reached out to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s office. She was directed to contact Congress.
Arthur said she then reached out to U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown’s office. She said she got online on her phone and sent off a message through a portal on his website.
She said she never imagined she'd hear back so quickly.
"I was ecstatic," she said upon the response. "I was ecstatic."
We reached out to Senator Brown's office, and they sent News 5 this statement:
As Sen. Brown always says, the best ideas don’t come from Washington -- they come from Ohioans who voice their concerns and engage their lawmakers. Sen. Brown’s office thanks Mrs. Arthur for bringing this issue to our attention. Senator Brown is committed to strengthening the Affordable Care Act’s free preventive coverage provision and will keep this issue in mind as he continues to work on ways to increase access to affordable, quality health care in Ohio and across the country.
Although Arthur did not, News 5 also reached out to U.S. Senator J.D. Vance's office for comment and has yet to hear back.
"If a change can happen for the better, it's worth every bit of effort," said Arthur.
In 2022, Ohio passed a law that improves dense breast notification letters to patients to educate them on the diagnosis and additional screening options.
"Our gold standard is screening mammography, and then if it's right for you to get a supplemental MRI, then yes," said Dr. Holly Marshall, division chief of breast imaging at University Hospitals.
Marshall said UH has been offering fast breast MRIs since 2019.
It is about a 10-minute study, shorter than traditional MRI, and uses IV for contrast.
Marshall says it’s found additional cancers in their patients.
"The whole goal of screening mammography and fast breast MRI is to detect breast cancer as it's small and early and easily treatable," Marshall said.
Like all screening tests, fast MRI can have false positives. Dr. Marshall says it is a critical tool in the fight against breast cancer that is saving lives.
UH shared its results to contribute to the larger body of data on fast breast MRI that perhaps could lead to coverage.
Arthur said she hopes, too, that she can be a little piece of the bigger puzzle and help more patients with dense breasts access a study that could save their lives. She also doesn’t plan to let up on the gas as she pushes Congress for action.
"I hope that people hear what can be accomplished through one voice," she said.
As a cancer survivor, Arthur also expressed concern over the radiation risk from mammography. Doctor Marshall says it’s so little that it’s not something that would cause harm.
She recommends starting yearly mammogram screening at age 40.
While an abbreviated or fast breast MRI isn’t covered by insurance, the longer, traditional MRI is covered for patients at high risk. Talk with your doctor about what additional screening may be right for you.
If you cannot afford a covered screening, try contacting the Breast and Cervical Cancer Projectto see if you qualify for support.
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