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

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 himsel...

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 b...

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 s...

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...

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 E...

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...

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 vie...

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 trad...

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 story...

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 in...

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 earnin...

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...

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 resi...

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 g...

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 treatme...

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...

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...

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,...

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 mo...

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,...

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 los...

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...

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 tim...

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 ackn...

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...