Ryan Bueter, founder and lead performer of The Killer Dueling Pianos, announces the launch of Throat Cancer Diary, a memoir recounting the personal experiences that informed his life and work, including addiction, sobriety, relationships, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a throat cancer diagnosis. The book documents the events that led Bueter to share his story and the lessons he hopes readers may find in it.
The memoir brings together chapters from Bueter’s life that became connected through the experience of cancer. Before writing the book, he had never regarded his personal history as material for a biography. When others encouraged him to document his recovery from addiction, he considered sobriety a personal responsibility and a private commitment.
His perspective changed after he was diagnosed with HPV-related throat cancer in 2025. Faced with an uncertain period of treatment and recovery, he began recording his experiences, initially as a diary for his family. The writing developed into a broader account of the life that had brought him to that point.
As the founder and CEO of The Killer Dueling Pianos, Bueter has spent decades working in music and live entertainment. His musical background and years performing for audiences form part of the memoir’s context, while the book gives attention to personal experiences beyond the stage. It considers how relationships, recovery, and events during the pandemic contributed to the person writing the account.
“The cancer diagnosis encouraged me to begin documenting my experiences,” Bueter shares. “I initially started writing to keep my parents informed while they were unable to be with me.” As he continued, the diary grew beyond an account of his illness to include the personal experiences and life events that had led him to that moment.
That decision informs the memoir’s personal message. Bueter hopes readers will recognize common ground in experiences that can initially appear very different. Addiction, cancer, and personal hardship affect people in distinct circumstances, yet he believes listening to one another can reveal shared emotions and needs. The book also addresses the importance of speaking openly, asking for help, and taking an active role in decisions about personal well-being.
Bueter noted that he never viewed his experiences as uniquely different from others, explaining that his throat cancer diagnosis inspired him to share his story with the hope of helping others feel less alone and supporting individuals facing similar challenges. That reflects why he chose to write: to offer an account that may help another person recognize their own experience in someone else’s story.
Throughout the memoir, Bueter considers the role humility played in his recovery and in responding to his diagnosis. He writes about setting aside pride, acknowledging when support is needed, and speaking about difficulties instead of keeping them private. His reflections also address self-advocacy and the value of making personal well-being a priority. He describes this as a form of healthy self-care that can help people remain available to care for others.
Throat Cancer Diary’s intended audience extends beyond people who have experienced addiction or cancer themselves. Bueter also hopes it may offer perspective to family members, friends, and others supporting someone through a difficult period. By including the circumstances surrounding his relationships, the pandemic, and his work as a performer, he gives readers context for the experiences that led to the diagnosis and the writing that followed.