Published: August 31, 2026
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Kerrie Fullen has spent years around cancer care. As a Norton Healthcare employee who worked with Norton Cancer Institute, she understood better than most why routine screenings matter. She’s also an active grandma and a passionate advocate for health and weight management. She is deeply involved with her church and regularly travels on mission trips.
When it came time for her annual mammogram in 2025, she didn’t put it off for long.“I was due to go in March,” she said. “But I had to reschedule for April.”
This small delay, in hindsight, still left plenty of room for early detection to do its job.
The call came almost immediately after her mammogram: They’d seen something.
Kerrie has dense breast tissue, so at first she wasn’t overly concerned. She knew dense tissue can sometimes lead to additional findings on a mammogram, and it was part of why she always chose 3D mammography, or tomosynthesis, for her screenings.“I just assumed the scan had picked up a spot of dense tissue,” Kerrie said.
A few days later, Kerrie went back for an ultrasound. This time, the radiologist came in to look for herself. She spent a long time studying the images, then told Kerrie they were looking at ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), Stage 0.
“It all kind of hit me at that point,” said Kerrie, who is director of patient experience for Norton Medical Group.
Ductal carcinoma in situ means cancer that has developed in the milk ducts and has not moved beyond the ducts. In situ is Latin for “in place.” When discussing breast cancer, the term “stage” refers to the location and spread of the abnormal cells. Stage 0 means the cancer is entirely trapped in the ducts and has not spread to the surrounding breast tissue or lymph nodes.
Kerri had a biopsy that same week. About a week later, someone from the Norton Healthcare Breast Health Program called to confirm the diagnosis: DCIS, Stage 0. Thirty minutes after that, her Norton Cancer Institute breast navigator called and already had scheduled her for an appointment for the very next day with C. Matt Brown, M.D., breast surgeon with Norton Surgical Specialists – Breast Health.
Dr. Brown’s initial recommendation was a lumpectomy followed by radiation, the typical approach to make sure no cancer cells are left behind. Before surgery, Kerrie had an MRI and had genetic testing done, just to be sure nothing had been missed. Her genetic testing came back negative for a genetic likelihood of cancer. That means a laboratory test on specific genes showed no inherited gene mutations.
The MRI told a different story than the ultrasound had. The MRI before lumpectomy shows a highly detailed 3D image of the breast and the abnormal cells. The area was almost twice the size it had appeared to be on ultrasound, and it was Grade 3. That meant a lumpectomy was no longer an option.
Grade in this case describes how the abnormal cells look under a microscope and how fast they are growing. Kerrie’s cancer cells were abnormally shaped, aggressive and dividing quickly.
“I had to put everything on hold to get ahead of this,” Kerrie said.
Dr. Brown referred her to plastic surgeon Terry M. McCurry, M.D., and together the team confirmed Kerrie would need a single mastectomy instead. She also began working with breast medical oncologist Laila S. Agrawal, M.D., and nurse practitioner Miki L. Ferguson, APRN, at Norton Cancer Institute.
Kerrie had a mission trip to Africa planned for June. Her surgery was scheduled for June 12 — the very day she was supposed to leave.“I had to cancel my trip,” she said. “I was heartbroken, but there will be other trips.”
Her mastectomy on went well, and reviewing her lab results, Kerrie’s care team determined she wouldn’t need radiation. Dr. Agrawal continues to follow her care today.
Reconstruction began in July with the gradual filling of a tissue expander. Kerrie had a cruise planned for September 2025, so she chose to wait until after her trip for the next phase. Her reconstruction surgery was scheduled for late October and included reconstruction on the right side, matching surgery on the left, plus a tummy tuck and liposuction so her own fat could be used in the process. She’s excited about that part, jokingly calling it her “mommy makeover.”
Throughout her diagnosis and treatment, Kerrie has leaned heavily on her faith. She calls it a faith-building experience — one that’s also left her with a deep sense of gratitude, even a little guilt. Because her cancer was caught so early, her path has been easier than what many other cancer patients face, and she knows it.
Her message to anyone who might be tempted to put off a screening is simple and direct:
“If I had waited, it wouldn’t be stage 0.”