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 some...

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 pl...

Breast cancer, betrayal, and belly laughs: author and former BBC journalist CJ Grace joins Dr. Brad Miller and Deb Krier on the Cancer and Comedy podcast to share her wild ride through two breast cancer diagnoses and her husband's infidelity. Discover how humor, community, self-care, and mindfulness help you thrive after adversity, plus candid, funny talk about body image after mastectomy. Perfect for Breast Cancer Awareness Month and anyone turning the grim into a grin.

Dr. Brad Miller and Deb Krier 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 Colette’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...

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 wh...

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 conductin...

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...

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...

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,...

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,...

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 manag...

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 cheerleadi...

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...

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 discu...

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, caree...

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 Bill was a retired pastor and Brad’s former supervising pastor. In his late 50s/early 60s, Bill was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer. Doctors made it clear he was unlikely to beat the disease. Instead of isolating himself, Bill: Reached out to his three closest lifelong friends (seminary buddies and fellow pastors)...

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 osteosarc...

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 ...

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 ha...

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...

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, ...

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 i...

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 hav...

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 wisd...