Katie Dutton, RN, is no stranger to MultiCare’s South Sound hospitals. In 2022, she joined the health system as a float nurse, starting each shift in a different inpatient unit. Over the course of a year, Katie worked in over 20 units across five hospitals. Her familiarity with MultiCare Cancer Institute, however, didn’t begin until she became a patient herself.
Searching for answers
Katie first noticed blood in her stool while she was a travel nurse. Doctors thought it was hemorrhoids and recommended more fiber, which didn’t resolve her symptoms. In 2023, Katie established primary care at MultiCare Family Medicine Center with Marissa Robinson, MD, who promptly ordered a colonoscopy.
A scope revealed a polyp too large to remove during the procedure, but a biopsy came back negative for cancer. That’s when she was referred to colorectal surgeon Laila Rashidi, MD, and medical oncologist Jennifer Slim, DO, at donor-supported MultiCare Cancer Institute.
While cancer was suspected, multiple scans and tests were inconclusive. But Katie’s team kept digging. A fourth biopsy of the polyp finally confirmed their suspicions.
“I’ll never forget — it was Black Friday when Dr. Rashidi called me to tell me the results,” Katie recalls. “Cancer in the mass was finally found. I started chemo within a week.”
A quick response
Katie initially went through eight rounds of chemotherapy, surgery to resect the tumor and two additional months of chemo. Her partner Drew was by her side at every appointment.
In May 2025, a follow-up scan showed a tiny nodule on Katie’s lung, which pathology verified was metastasis from her now stage 4 colorectal cancer. Two months later, she underwent minimally invasive surgery using the Ion robotic-assisted bronchoscopy system at MultiCare Cancer Institute – Tacoma General Hospital. One of only three systems in Washington state, it allowed Katie’s surgeons to safely identify and remove the nodule rather than wait for the cancer to grow big enough to cut out, risking further spread.
“I’m very, very lucky MultiCare has one of these systems,” she says. “Today, there’s no evidence of disease in my body, and I’m feeling healthy and strong, which I’m grateful for.”
Experience inspires action
After her diagnosis, Katie knew she needed a role that could accommodate her treatment schedule. An open position at the MultiCare Cancer Institute – Gig Harbor clinic seemed meant to be.
“I realized I needed people who knew me and understood what I was going through,” she explains. “I also loved the idea of working in oncology because I felt like I could make my experience mean something, and I could turn this seemingly horrible thing into helping others.”
Katie has not only found a support network in her colleagues, but also a new way to connect with patients.
“It’s been really therapeutic for me to work there,” she says. “I can really connect with my patients because I’ve been through what they’re going through. It makes me feel like we’re fighting together — like we got this.”
A future shaped by generosity
Backed by generous community support, MultiCare Cancer Institute is building a robust, statewide network to provide exceptional cancer care, while minimizing the need to travel. In Gig Harbor, donors are helping expand treatment spaces, fund state-of-the-art equipment and ensure personalized navigation throughout a patient’s journey.
As both a care team member and former patient, Katie is excited for what’s ahead.
“I’m looking forward to our patients continuing to have access to the most modern treatments and the best care teams,” she explains. “Advancements happen fast. Ten years ago, my diagnosis would mean lifelong, palliative chemo. Investing in growth and development really does save lives. I believe it saved mine.”
