Stage II KRAS Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Camila's Patient Story

What happened, in summary

At 24, Camila Bermúdez García was preparing to apply to medical school when she coughed up about a spoonful of blood while volunteering at a COVID-19 vaccine clinic. An X-ray showed a lung abnormality, but she was repeatedly treated for pneumonia. Over nearly 1 year, she went through scans and multiple courses of antibiotics while her health declined. Even after a concerning PET scan, answers remained difficult to obtain. Her mother kept pushing for more testing, and the family paid out of pocket for part of the workup.

Camila eventually underwent surgery to remove an area of lung thought to have been damaged by infection. During the operation, pathology showed cancer. Further testing confirmed stage IIB non-small cell lung cancer with a KRAS G12V mutation. The diagnosis was especially shocking because her surgeon had said there was a 99.9% chance the problem was not cancer.

She taught herself to read pathology reports and understand biomarker testing. Online patient communities helped her see young people living full lives after lung cancer, and therapy helped her process the emotional impact. Cancer delayed her medical-school plans, while her healthy outward appearance sometimes caused others to underestimate what she was experiencing.

Camila now advocates for stronger support for young adults with lung cancer in Puerto Rico. She is again preparing to apply to medical school and describes herself as more than her diagnosis.