Cancer and Comedy: Helping Cancer Impacted People to Cope with Hope and Humor

Dr. Brad Miller talks with Deb Krier about facing three different cancers while continuing to live, work, and find moments of humor. Deb shares how a routine mammogram led to a breast cancer diagnosis that shifted from stage zero to stage three after surgery, and later to stage four. She also recounts treatment for basal cell skin cancer and papillary thyroid cancer.

Deb describes building a “new normal” while managing ongoing treatment and running her business. She explains why “fine” can sometimes hide how someone is really doing, and why honest communication matters with friends, family, and care tea...

Dr. Brad Miller and Leslie Sousa talk about facing breast cancer with faith, humor, and an openness to moments of joy. Leslie shares how a routine mammogram in February 2020 led to a diagnosis just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting treatment early felt like a blessing, though chemotherapy, anxiety, hair loss, and the prospect of a double mastectomy brought fear and uncertainty.

Through it all, Leslie tried to take one day at a time and look for small signs of grace. She shares how she placed her fallen curls in a tree for birds to use in their...

C.J. Grace and Deb Krier discussed how humor, community, self-care, and mindfulness can help people cope with cancer and other adversity. Grace shared her experience surviving breast cancer twice while also navigating her husband’s infidelity and the end of her marriage. The conversation emphasized that comedy can be a useful coping tool when it respects the patient’s circumstances and preferences. It also stressed that support is stronger when it comes from a wider network rather than a single partner.

The speakers described a practical coping framework built around confidants, mentors, friends, healthy habits, rest, laug...

Dr. Brad Miller and Deb Creer explore how laughter can help people cope with cancer and other adversity. Drawing on a CNN article by Don Riddell, they discuss how humor may ease stress, lift spirits, and bring people closer—even in the middle of difficult medical experiences.

Brad shares a story from his granddaughter Collette’s sixth birthday, where she gave him a makeover complete with hair accessories, makeup, and plenty of sprinkles. The family laughter gave him a joyful distraction before surgery and reminded him how meaningful small, playful moments can be. Deb shares her own stor...

Dr. Brad Miller and Deb Krier tackle a deeply personal topic that many cancer survivors and couples experience but rarely discuss openly: rebuilding life after cancer surgery. Brad shares his experience with prostate cancer, the impact of treatment on intimacy and quality of life, and his decision to undergo reconstructive surgery. With honesty, vulnerability, and plenty of humor, he explains the uncomfortable, unexpected, and sometimes downright funny moments that came with the procedure—and why having a clear “big why” matters when making major decisions about your health and future.

Brad and Deb also explore Deb’s experien...

On this episode of the Cancer and Comedy Podcast, Dr. Brad Miller sits down with Rabbi Bob Alper — quite possibly the only practicing rabbi on the planet doing stand-up comedy on purpose — for a conversation about faith, illness, and the strange holiness of making someone laugh on the worst day of their life.

Bob has been on stage for nearly 40 years, from the Comedy Store to Sirius XM, sharing bills with names like Bob Newhart and Jerry Seinfeld, all while serving congregations and conducting High Holiday services for more than three decades. He's also a bladder cancer pati...

Dr. Brad Miller welcomes Dave Mowry—author of OMG, That’s Me and Healing with Humor, stand‑up comic, mental health advocate, and survivor of what he calls his “14 lost years” of bipolar disorder, crippling anxiety, and depression. Dave traces his journey from “successful businessman with the great house and the great family” to a single moment on the freeway when his mind “snapped,” launching more than a decade of panic attacks, isolation, and despair—then the unlikely, often hilarious path back through blogging, comedy classes, and teaching others to turn their pain into punchlines.

What unfolds is a raw, hopeful, a...

Courtney Elmer is Dr. Brad Miller's guest on today’s episode of the "Cancer and Comedy Podcast."

Courtney is the CEO of The EffortLESS Life. Every year, she assists hundreds of entrepreneurs in simplifying and scaling their businesses using a proven new approach to work smarter, not harder. She developed The EffortLESS Life Method to help struggling entrepreneurs understand why stress, overwhelm, and burnout occur, even when they are pursuing their passion.

In this episode, Courtney shares how her cancer diagnosis served as a catalyst for transformative change in her life.

She talks ab...

Dr. Brad Miller welcomes Emma Victoria Johnson—a young British woman living in Australia who was handed an 18‑month, stage‑four breast cancer death sentence…and flatly refused to accept it. After a cold, compassionless prognosis (“no chemo, no surgery, no hope”), a boyfriend who bolted within a week, and a best friend who took up with him, Emma fired her oncologist, went searching for real options, and landed at Oasis of Hope in Tijuana, Mexico.

What unfolds is a story that’s raw, irreverent, moving, and frequently hilarious: from heartbreak and “two clowns” to becoming the joyful “clinic clo...

Dr. Brad Miller welcomes Michael Bavarnik—two‑time prostate cancer survivor, founder of The Prostate Education Project, devoted husband of 62 years, and tireless patient educator. Michael traces his journey from watching his father endure a brutal, old‑school course of prostate cancer, to facing his own aggressive disease, staying undetectable for 20 years, and then getting hit with a recurrence that forced him to rethink everything.

What unfolds is a story that’s blunt, practical, often funny, and full of hard‑won wisdom about cancer, marriage, masculinity, and why silence is so dangerous for men.

Brad and...

On this episode of the Cancer and Comedy Podcast, Dr. Brad Miller and Deb Krier walk through one of the most vulnerable moments in the cancer journey:

How do you tell the people you love, “I have cancer”?

Drawing from Deb’s experience with breast cancer, Brad’s with prostate cancer, and countless conversations with patients, families, and friends, they unpack how to share your diagnosis in a way that’s honest, emotionally safe, and true to who you are—without feeling like you have to manage everyone else’s reactions.

In this real, compassi...

In this episode, Dr. Brad Miller and Tami Barber discuss her inspiring journey from a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader to a cancer survivor and podcast host. Tami shares her experiences with ovarian cancer, from her initial diagnosis to her emotional highs and lows during treatment. Despite the challenges, Tami remained resilient and optimistic, finding strength in her support group, the "Bionic Babes," and her podcast, Cancer, the Emotional Mountain.

She also discusses her transition from cheerleading to a life focused on helping others navigate their cancer journey. Tami uses humor, her personal growth, and a unique perspective to...

On this episode of the Cancer and Comedy Podcast, Dr. Brad Miller sits down with stand‑up comic Ryan McCormick—known on stage as “The Nutty Irishman”—to unpack what happens when a working comic, new husband, and soon‑to‑be dad is suddenly hit with a life‑threatening cancer diagnosis.

From open mics at Crackers Comedy Club in Indianapolis to corporate days and weekend gigs across the Midwest, Ryan had built a life with two solid tracks: 8–5 office job by day, comedy by night. Then, in the span of just a few months in 2004, everything changed:

In this episode of Cancer and Comedy, Dr. Brad Miller sits down with Robin Phoenix Johnson, a retired Army lieutenant colonel turned stand-up comedian and certified humor professional. Robin shares her powerful journey from military leadership to therapeutic humor, driven by personal experiences with caregiving and loss.

Together, they explore the science and soul behind therapeutic humor—how laughter can provide mental, emotional, and even physical relief during times of adversity. Robin discusses her roots in military culture, where humor often served as a necessary coping tool amid chaos and combat, and how that shaped her current wo...

Dr. Achim Zinggrebe is a medical doctor, author, and coach who helps people navigate the cancer journey by integrating mind, body, spirit, and energy into healing. His work empowers patients not only to endure treatment but to reclaim their identity, strength, and joy through gratitude, breathwork, mindset shifts, and spiritual practices.

In this episode, Dr. Achim shares how his own cancer diagnosis became a turning point. For years, he ignored his health while focusing on others—family, career, and patients—until the disease forced him to face his own neglect. He describes the moment of chao...

How to “die well together” by investing your remaining time in relationships, joy, and shared experiences—especially in the face of cancer.

Key Story – Bill and the Ballparks

On this episode of the Cancer and Comedy Podcast, Dr. Brad Miller and Cheyenne Heflin open up about a topic that rarely makes it into the discharge summary—but lives in the classroom, the family room, and the therapist’s chair:

What happens to your identity, your mental health, and your sense of “who I am” when cancer takes your leg at 13…and then comes back for your lung just as you’re about to become a counselor?

Speaking from her own story—first as a middle‑schooler with osteosarcoma and an above‑knee am...

On this episode of the Cancer and Comedy Podcast, Dr. Brad Miller and Deb Krier use the story of rock legend Ann Wilson of Heart—and her new documentary “Ann Wilson: In My Voice”—to explore what it really means to find your voice after cancer changes everything.

From Brad’s days as a 1970s radio DJ spinning “Magic Man” and “Barracuda,” to Deb’s own journey as a professional vocalist who lost her singing voice after thyroid surgery, this is a conversation about music, identity, illness, and the courage to be seen as you really are.

W...

On this episode of the Cancer and Comedy Podcast, Dr. Brad Miller and Deb Krier use the upcoming Netflix documentary on tennis legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova to explore what really happens when lifelong rivalries, deep friendships, and life‑threatening cancer collide.

From nostalgic memories of 1970s and 80s women’s tennis, where Chrissy and Martina dominated headlines and opened the door for women athletes, to the moment when both of them were diagnosed with serious cancers and had to face their own mortality, Brad and Deb unpack how adversity reshapes identity, control, competition, and...

On this episode of the Cancer and Comedy Podcast, Dr. Brad Miller sits down with author, retired senior cancer nurse, and lifelong “rock-and-roll kid” John W. Pattison to explore what it means to live a rich, meaningful life over 51 years of stage IV Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple relapses, and deep emotional and spiritual struggle.

Diagnosed at 18 with a rare, advanced Hodgkin lymphoma in northeast England—and told more than once he wouldn’t survive—John has gone on to become a senior cancer nurse specialist, award‑winning memoirist, children’s author, and honorary member of the Lakota Sioux Nation. In thi...

Mallori DeSalle is a licensed mental health counselor, certified humor professional, professor at Indiana University’s School of Public Health, and a trainer of motivational interviewing. She is also an Oreo connoisseur who has tasted more than 150 flavors from around the world — and a recent breast cancer patient who uses humor as her most powerful coping tool.

In this episode, Mallori shares how she faced the fears, uncertainty, and emotional strain of her cancer diagnosis with authenticity, honesty, and laughter. She talks openly about going from a routine mammogram to a callback, to a biopsy, and then to t...

On this episode of the Cancer and Comedy Podcast, Dr. Brad Miller sits down with Savio P. Clemente—TEDx speaker, board-certified wellness coach, journalist, and two-time cancer survivor whose journey includes a decade of remission, a relapse, and a life-saving stem cell transplant.

Savio shares how going from a sudden stage 3 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis to a “medical rebirth” reshaped his view of resilience, purpose, and what it means to live in rhythm with life—not just bounce back from it.

Drawing on his personal story and his work interviewing hundreds of cancer...

On this episode of the Cancer and Comedy Podcast, Dr. Brad Miller sits down with Buddy Clay—husband, dad of three girls, mental health CEO, and author of Built in the Fire—to unpack what it really looks like to live, lead, and love in the middle of a stage 4 melanoma diagnosis.

Buddy shares how a “harmless” mole on his back turned into a life-altering cancer journey, why he walked away from a traditional treatment plan, and how faith, radical lifestyle changes, and honest conversations have reshaped everything—from his kitchen pantry to how he runs a 50...

In this heartfelt and inspiring episode of Cancer and Comedy, Dr. Brad Miller and Deb Krier explore what it means to "live a full life and finish strong," weaving together the threads of hope, humor, faith, and community. Dr. Brad Miller opens up about the recent loss of his dear friend Joe Bottorf, a man who embodied positivity, purpose, and connection until his final days. Through powerful storytelling and thoughtful reflection, the episode offers listeners practical lessons and emotional wisdom drawn from Joe’s life and legacy—lessons that resonate deeply for anyone impacted by cancer or facing adversity.

In this episode of Cancer and Comedy, host Dr. Brad Miller is joined by Merv Neal, Australia's leading laughter expert, to explore the healing power of laughter. Merv shares his unique journey from a successful business career to becoming a laughter therapist after a life-threatening health crisis. Following years of stress and overwork, Merv found himself facing a severe medical emergency, but instead of succumbing to the situation, he found solace and healing in laughter. This unexpected remedy led him to discover laughter's powerful physical, mental, and emotional benefits.

Merv discusses his work with laughter therapy, which...

On this episode of the Cancer and Comedy Podcast, Dr. Brad Miller sits down with Dr. Eugene Manley—cancer scientist, nonprofit founder, Black health equity advocate, and STEM mentor—to talk about what really happens at the intersection of cancer, racism, AI, and everyday people just trying to survive the system.

From growing up as a kid in Detroit with severe asthma and a dad who smoked, to earning a PhD in lung cancer and building a nonprofit to serve communities that medicine has historically ignored, Eugene shares a story that is at once painfully hone...

On this episode of the Cancer and Comedy Podcast, Dr. Brad Miller and Deb Krier open up about a topic that almost never makes it into the exam room—but lives in the bedroom, the bathroom, and the mirror:

What happens to sex, intimacy, and feeling “like a man” or “like a woman” after cancer?

Speaking from their own stories—Brad as a prostate cancer survivor and Deb as a breast cancer survivor—they have a candid, funny, and deeply compassionate conversation about living in a changed body, navigating desire, and redefining clo...

Kevin Gazzara is Dr. Brad Miller’s guest on this episode of “The Beyond Adversity Podcast.”

Kevin is the co-founder of Magna Leadership Solutions and a certified Positive Intelligence (PQ) mental fitness coach.

He brings over 30 years of corporate experience, including 18 years at Intel, where he worked in leadership development and organizational performance. Today, Kevin helps leaders build resilience, improve emotional intelligence, and overcome limiting mindsets through his coaching and consulting work.

In this episode, Kevin shares how his life took an unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, something that runs i...

Bill is an entrepreneur, executive coach, and business strategist who has led companies through financial crises, built leadership frameworks, and now helps others navigate adversity with resilience, discipline, and faith. He is also the author of Restored by the Storm, where he shares his journey of overcoming life-threatening illness and business challenges.

In this episode, Bill shares how he grew up working in his family’s construction business, eventually taking on major responsibilities in land development and large-scale projects. He explains how navigating the Great Recession forced him to make high-stakes decisions under pressure, shaping his mindset ar...

Cara Lockwood is the guest on Episode 103 of “Cancer and Comedy,” hosted by Dr. Brad Miller with co-host Deb Krier.

Cara Lockwood is a bestselling romance novelist whose work has been adapted into Lifetime movies. She helps people navigate the cancer journey by blending humor, joy, and practical insights to reclaim strength and perspective. Her approach empowers patients not only to endure treatment but to live fully and intentionally despite life’s unexpected challenges.

In this episode, Cara shares how her stage II breast cancer diagnosis became the ultimate plot twist in her life...

From Stage 4 Cancer to Purpose: A Story of Identity, Addiction, and Healing

On this episode of the Cancer and Comedy Podcast, Dr. Brad Miller sits down with Dr. Joshua Carabello, an industrial organizational psychologist and author of I’m Not Dead Yet, to explore a deeply personal journey that began with a life-altering diagnosis at just 18 years old:

What happens when surviving cancer is only the beginning of the battle?

Drawing from his experience with stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Joshua opens up about the emotional and spiritual stru...

On this episode of Cancer and Comedy, Dr. Brad Miller talks with Cathy Nesbitt, a health and wellness advocate and laughter yoga teacher from CathysClub.com, about how intentional laughter, energy techniques, and even worms can help people move from stress into joy—especially when facing cancer and other major life challenges. Cathy shares the deeply personal story of losing her beloved stepfather Mike to brain cancer when she was just 21, and how that loss shaped her vow never to stay in a job that didn’t serve her, ultimately leading her from a worm composting business into the worl...

On this episode of the Cancer and Comedy Podcast, Dr. Brad Miller and Deb Krier take on a tender, real-life moment so many of us eventually face:

What do you do when someone you care about sends the message, “I have cancer”?

Drawing from their own journeys—Deb with breast cancer and Brad with prostate cancer—as well as years of walking alongside others, they unpack how to respond with compassion, presence, and appropriate lightness without being intrusive or “making it weird.”

In this honest, practical, and hope-filled conversation, Brad and Deb share:

Tim McDonald is Dr. Brad Miller’s guest on an episode of “The Beyond Adversity Podcast.”

Tim is a speaker, community builder, and advocate who uses his story to encourage others facing serious health challenges and personal adversity.

He is known for openly sharing his journey with cancer and for helping people understand the importance of connection, vulnerability, and support during difficult moments in life.

In this episode Tim shared the moment his life changed when a doctor walked into the room with a single sheet of paper and said three words...

Deb Krier joins host Dr. Brad Miller on this episode of “Cancer and Comedy”, a show devoted to helping cancer-impacted people heal through hope and humor — what they call turning the grim into a grin.

Deb is the co-host of Cancer and Comedy, a community for “lifter uppers” — people facing cancer or other serious adversity who refuse to be dragged into a dark spiral and instead choose to seek joy, connection, and laughter in the midst of difficult diagnoses.

In this episode, Deb and Dr. Brad dive into the often-overlooked topic of Seasonal...

On this episode of Cancer and Comedy, host Dr. Brad Miller and co-host Deb Krier talk with Steve Garrity, author of Great Fruit: How Cancer Led to Living a More Fruitful Life. At just 18 years old, Steve was diagnosed with stage 3 Hodgkin’s lymphoma after discovering a lump in his neck that had quietly grown into a grapefruit-sized tumor. What followed was nearly a year of chemotherapy, the loss of his social circle, a breakup with his girlfriend, and a total disruption of the life he thought he wanted.

Steve openly shares how, at that time, he wa...

On this episode of Cancer and Comedy, Dr. Brad Miller talks with psychologist and author Dr. Lou Franzini about how humor can be a powerful ally during cancer, stress, and everyday adversity. Lou shares his journey from university professor and researcher to practitioner of therapeutic humor, drawing on his work in psychology, his involvement with Toastmasters, and even stand-up comedy to explain why humor matters so much for emotional and physical health.

Brad and Lou explore what makes humor helpful versus harmful—why racist, sexist, or demeaning jokes damage connection, and how appropriate, inclusive, or even gently se...

On this episode of Cancer and Comedy, Dr. Brad Miller talks with James Moffitt, founder of Father’s Refuge, about grief, faith, and finding hope after the loss of a child. James shares the stories of his daughter Jessica, who died from childhood cancer at age 10, and his son Jeremy, who passed away years later from serious health complications. His experiences show how grief is not a moment in time, but a lifelong journey that reshapes identity and belief.

James explains how Father’s Refuge was created after realizing that fathers often lack support once a child’s trea...

In this episode of “Cancer and Comedy”, Dr. Brad Miller talks with mental health advocate, performer, and podcast host Kevin Crispin (Behind Beautiful Things) about living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety, and the “things that eat you alive” on the inside. Anchored in a Bob Dylan lyric— “Behind every beautiful thing, there’s some kind of pain”—Kevin shares how he’s learned to acknowledge both the hurt and the hope, and how we can choose what to focus on.

Kevin opens about childhood racing thoughts, irrational fears, and feeling “other,” and how therapy, performing, and his one-man show “Invisible...

Cancer changes everything, but it also has a way of revealing life’s most important truths. In this heartfelt episode of the Cancer and Comedy podcast, Dr. Brad Miller sits down with Tim Sohn—two-time bestselling author and the host and creator of the Showing Up: Perspectives on Cancer podcast. Tim opens up about his 18-year journey with chronic myeloid leukemia, a diagnosis that initially brought shock and fear but ultimately inspired a mission of connection, healing, and hope.

Tim shares how he found strength in storytelling—first by hearing others’ experiences and then by sharing his own. He...