What started as a long-awaited breast reduction for a Chapel Hill mother ended with a diagnosis she never saw coming.
Kim Burris, 45, had lived with back pain, ill-fitting clothes, and daily discomfort for years before finally opting for surgery. After having her daughter and breastfeeding, she said she was ready to reclaim her body.
“I felt like an imposter in my own skin,” Burris said. “This was something I needed to do for myself.”
The procedure was performed by Raleigh plastic surgeon Dr. Heather Levites. During surgery, Levites noticed an area of tissue that didn’t look quite right and sent it to pathology — a step she believes should be routine.
“Any piece of breast tissue that comes out of your body should be sent to a pathologist,” Levites said.
Days later, Burris received the phone call no one expects: the lab had found ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), the most common form of breast cancer. DCIS begins in the milk ducts and can spread if not caught early. Symptoms can be subtle — sometimes limited to redness, a painless lump, nipple changes, a size difference between breasts, or a rash.
“When I heard the words, I almost left my body,” Burris recalled. “I was shocked and numb. I wasn’t prepared for that news. But Dr. Levites walked me through everything clearly. I’m very fact-driven, and that helped.”
Burris has a family history of breast cancer — her grandmother battled the disease — and she had routinely gone for mammograms. But those screenings did not detect the DCIS. The only sign she’d noticed was what she thought was a clogged milk duct from breastfeeding.
After the diagnosis, Levites connected her with Dr. Jennifer Plichta, a surgical oncologist at Duke Cancer Center.
According to the National Institutes of Health, catching breast cancer early significantly improves survival rates, reduces the chance of it spreading, and allows for less aggressive treatment. It also gives patients a sense of control and lowers anxiety.
Dr. Levites emphasized the importance of paying attention to your body.
“We are our own best advocates,” she said. “We know when something isn’t right, and being proactive is the first line of defense.”
Because the DCIS was detected so early, Burris does not need further treatment. She says she plans to stay vigilant with preventative care and regular checkups.
Her experience is now a real-life reminder that even routine procedures can reveal hidden threats — and that speaking up about your body can save your life.