Ep 73: From Doctor to Lung Cancer Patient, Dr. Sydney Barned’s Story - The Patient From Hell Podcast
In this compelling episode of The Patient From Hell, Dr. Sydney Barned shares her extraordinary journey as both a practicing physician and a seven-and-a-half-year survivor of stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). She offers a rare dual perspective—one that bridges the gap between doctor and patient, revealing the challenges of navigating a cancer diagnosis while also providing medical care to others.
Dr. Barned discusses the critical importance of patient advocacy, the communication barriers between physicians and patients, and the need for better education and support in cancer care. She also explores the findings of a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) study, which examines the effectiveness of different educational materials in helping advanced cancer patients understand palliative chemotherapy.
This episode was supported by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and highlights research led by Debra Schragg, MD, MPH. Learn more about our Podcast Club with Bright Spot Network [here].
About Our Guest
Dr. Sydney Barned
A dedicated physician and lung cancer advocate, Dr. Barned is committed to advancing research, raising awareness, and shaping policy in oncology. Diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer at age 33, she brings a deeply personal perspective to her advocacy, combining medical expertise with firsthand patient experience to drive meaningful change.
With a background in Internal Medicine and a specialization in hospital medicine, Dr. Barned is actively engaged in community outreach and educational initiatives that empower both patients and healthcare professionals.
Key Moments
3 minutes:
"So I had to do a lot of compartmentalization and it was some a lot of the times it was tough especially when I got patients who were younger and you know they reminded me of myself.... I've diagnosed patients with cancer, treated the side effects of cancer, you know, had to have those difficult conversations where I'm like,’ look, treatment is not working. We need to switch to more comfort based measures.’ I've had to bring in hospice and, you know, I've even had to pronounce time of death. So I've seen the entire spectrum and I mean, one of the things that it definitely does make me, it makes me very grateful for the life that I have."
30 minutes:
"Most patients when you're going through a diagnosis of cancer, you are not necessarily understanding everything because the emotions that are tied to hearing you have cancer. So just hearing that in itself is a blow, much less hearing you have advanced disease. That's going to be another blow as well. And a lot of the times when doctors are talking to you after hearing those two statements, it kind of sounds like, again, I'm going to be aging myself, but you remember Charlie Brown? When the adult was talking... you didn't hear anything. And that's kind of what it's like when a patient is hearing all of this information from their doctors."
46 minutes:
"Best piece of advice is it's okay to cry, it's okay to let those emotions out, but it's better to not sit in that and wallow. Try to do as much as you can to educate yourself about it so that you can be an informed patient, so that you can advocate for yourself. You can do that by going online. You can do that by joining support groups that have other patients by asking them questions.”
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