Doctor Vs Comedian

Only medical topics today! Today at the beginning of the episode, Ali asks Asif about the rising rates of head and neck cancer (1:42). Asif explains why smoking-related cancers of the mouth and voice box are declining while HPV-related cancers of the throat—particularly those affecting the tonsils and base of the tongue—are rising, often in younger adults who have never smoked. He discusses what human papillomavirus (HPV) is, why most infections never lead to cancer, and how persistent infections can result in cancer decades later. He also reviews the warning signs that should never be ignored, including persistent mouth sores, neck lumps, difficulty swallowing, and one-sided ear pain, as well as how these cancers are diagnosed and treated by multidisciplinary teams. Finally, he explains why HPV-positive cancers generally have a better prognosis than traditional tobacco-related cancers.

Then the guys speak with adolescent medicine specialist Dr. Megan Harrison about one of the most effective cancer prevention tools available: the HPV vaccine (20:45). Dr. Harrison explains the virus's well-established link to cervical cancer and why vaccination is recommended during the teenage years, long before most people are exposed to HPV. We tackle common questions from parents, including whether vaccination influences sexual behaviour, whether it's ever too late to catch up on missed doses, and whether the vaccine still helps after someone has already been exposed to HPV. We also review the extensive evidence supporting the vaccine's safety and effectiveness, and explore how social media shapes vaccine hesitancy. Finally, Dr. Harrison offers practical advice on involving teenagers in decisions about their own health and vaccination.

The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions.

Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay

Contact us at doctorvcomedian@gmail.com

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Rising Incidence of Head and Neck Cancer Drives Treatment Advances: https://www.facs.org/for-medical-professionals/news-publications/news-and-articles/bulletin/2025/october-2025-volume-110-issue-9/rising-incidence-of-head-and-neck-cancer-drives-treatment-advances/
Head and Neck Cancer: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41396597/
Head and Neck Cancer: https://www.nejm.org/doi/abs/10.1056/NEJMra1715715
Moshe Kasher's Tonsil Cancer Diagnosis: https://www.ourcancerstories.com/cancer-news/entertainment-news/moshe-kasher-cancer
Human papillomavirus vaccine for children and adolescents: https://cps.ca/en/documents/position/HPV

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Hulk Hogan died one year ago this month, so today, Ali and Asif discuss Hulk Hogan’s legacy with “Why Hulk Hogan Matters” author David Shoemaker. They start off by discussing David’s early memories of Hulk Hogan and then segue into the complicated feelings we all have towards the legendary wrestler. They discuss “unreliable narrators” in wrestling and how Hulk Hogan was a prime example of this. They then go over the use of steroids by Hulk Hogan, how “the lie” is an accepted part of wrestling. After a digression about the similarities between comedians and wrestlers, they go over the controversies Hogan encountered towards the end of his career.

Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay

Contact us at doctorvcomedian@gmail.com

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Show Notes:

Dead Wrestler Of The Week: Chris Benoit: https://deadspin.com/dead-wrestler-of-the-week-chris-benoit-1468485429/
“Why Hulk Hogan Matters” https://www.harpercollins.com/products/why-hulk-hogan-matters-david-shoemaker?variant=44749875937314

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Today, Asif and Ali cover TWO medical topics. First, Ali asks Asif about the parasite Cyclospora which is causing outbreaks of explosive diarrhea in large parts of the US (4:13). He explains how the parasite spreads through contaminated food and water—most commonly fresh produce rather than person-to-person contact—why it has become an increasing concern with the globalization of the food supply, and why simply washing fruits and vegetables cannot completely eliminate the risk. He then reviews who is most vulnerable to severe illness, how the infection is diagnosed and treated, and examines notable outbreaks linked to foods such as basil and raspberries, as well as the ongoing record-setting outbreak affecting multiple U.S. states. Finally, they discuss practical prevention strategies. EXTRA at 17:13 the guys provide an update on the outbreak, including the links to lettuce served at Taco Bell and supplied by Taylor Farms.

Then since veteran journalist Katie Couric publicly described her recent episode of transient global amnesia (TGA) (20:56), Ali asks Asif about the science behind one of neurology's most dramatic—but usually benign—memory disorders. He discusses what TGA is, why people suddenly lose the ability to form new memories while remaining awake and aware of who they are, and why they repeatedly ask the same questions during an episode. He then reviews the typical symptoms, who is most commonly affected, possible triggers such as physical exertion and emotional stress, the proposed role of the hippocampus and migraine, and how TGA is diagnosed. Asif then explains how physicians distinguish TGA from stroke and other neurological emergencies, why brain imaging is often performed, the expected recovery, and the risk of recurrence.
The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions.

Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay

Contact us at doctorvcomedian@gmail.com

Follow us on Social media:
Twitter: @doctorvcomedian

Show Notes:

Cyclospora Cayetanensis—Major Outbreaks from Ready to Eat Fresh Fruits and Vegetables: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7699734/
As cyclospora illnesses in U.S. surge to new record, Michigan officials eye lettuce as possible cause: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/cyclospora-illness-diarrhea-us-michigan-lettuce-9.7270134
Katie Couric Throwbacks: https://people.com/tv/katie-couric-throwbacks/
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/28/entertainment/katie-couric-morning-show-trnd
Katie Couric, 69, Says ‘Several Hours’ Will ‘Always Be Missing’ After Amnesia Episode: https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/katie-couric-amnesia-scare/
Transient Global Amnesia: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK442001/
Taylor Farms lettuce remains the focus of cyclosporiasis investigation, despite false positive test: ://www.cnn.com/2026/07/20/health/taylor-farms-lettuce-cyclospora-investigation
U.S. health authorities say lettuce served at Taco Bell locations is source of diarrhea-causing outbreak: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/us-cdc-cyclosporiasis-outbreak-9.7273740

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Today, Asif and Ali discuss their favorite movies from 1996 (2:15) and then they debate the best albums from that same year (28:05) (no medical topic today). Listen to hear what made their list, what didn’t and what overlap, if they had.

The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions.

Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay

Contact us at doctorvcomedian@gmail.com

Follow us on Social media:
Twitter: @doctorvcomedian

Review: Tom Petty, ‘Angel Dream’ – Revisiting The ‘She’s The One’ Soundtrack: https://bourbonandvinyl.net/2021/07/08/review-tom-petty-angel-dream-revisiting-the-shes-the-one-soundtrack/
Triumph and tragedy collided as Arizona's jangle pop-princes hit it big: https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/music/2026/05/27/gin-blossoms-congratulations-im-sorry-interview/90102053007/

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Recently, Bill Maher received the Mark Twain Prize for American humor. So today, Asif and Ali give their thoughts on Maher (spoiler: they don’t like him) (1:40). They discuss their admiration for “Politically Incorrect” and the fallout for that show from Bill’s comments about 9/11. Then then go over his increasingly problematic views on libertarianism, the “Me Too Movement”, vaccines and Islam. Finally they discuss criticism of Mahr from Larry David, Ben Affleck, Bill Burr and Wanda Sykes.

Then Ali asks Asif about the evidence about whether cell phones or Bluetooth devices cause cancer (25:15). Asif reviews the science behind radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, explains why they differ from cancer-causing ionizing radiation such as X-rays, and discusses why early concerns arose. He then goes over how the highest-quality evidence has found no convincing association between cell phone or Bluetooth use and brain tumors or other cancers. He then discusses why some earlier studies suggested an increased risk, how recall bias can influence results, what the "possibly carcinogenic" classification from the International Agency for Research on Cancer actually means, and why experts continue to monitor long-term exposures while concluding that the current evidence is reassuring.

The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions.

Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay

Contact us at doctorvcomedian@gmail.com

Follow us on Social media:
Twitter: @doctorvcomedian

Show Notes:
Bill Maher: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Maher
Larry David: My Dinner With Adolf: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/21/opinion/larry-david-hitler-dinner.html
A history of the Bill Maher's 'not bigoted' remarks on Islam: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2014/oct/06/bill-maher-islam-ben-affleck
Jason Biggs, Bill Maher slammed for controversial tweets: https://globalnews.ca/news/1459574/jason-biggs-bill-maher-slammed-for-controversial-tweets/: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGrdzQevp4I
7 Minutes of Bill Burr taking a dump on Bill Maher | Club random podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGrdzQevp4I
Bill Maher Says Christians Being ‘Systematically Killed’ In Nigeria: https://www.newsweek.com/bill-maher-christians-nigeria-10797095
Wanda Sykes Claims Bill Maher Confronted Her About Golden Globes Joke, Calling It “Stupid”: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/bill-maher-confronted-wanda-sykes-golden-globes-joke-1236621435/
Radiofrequency Radiation and Cancer: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/article-abstract/2786776?utm_source=openevidence&utm_medium=referral
The effect of exposure to radiofrequency fields on cancer risk in the general and working population: A systematic review of human observational studies - Part I: Most researched outcomes: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39241333/
Is It Bad to Use a Laptop Right on Your Lap? https://time.com/article/2026/05/20/is-it-bad-to-use-laptop-right-on-your-lap/

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