Empowering Lives Through Whole-Person Cancer Care

A Message from the PEP Team

Dr. Gabriela Ilie & Dr. Rob Rutledge - Co-Founders of the Patient Empowerment Programs

Dear friends, participants, partners, donors, collaborators, and members of the PC-PEP, PictouCountyPEP, BreastPEP, PEPLife and CancerPEP community,

We are delighted to share the 2026 PEP Annual Newsletter with you - a celebration of growth, impact, science, community, and the extraordinary people who continue to make this work possible.

This past year has been one of meaningful expansion and deepening purpose. Across Canada and internationally, the Patient Empowerment Programs have continued to grow from a research initiative into a broader movement for whole-person cancer care - one rooted in compassion, evidence, equity, and the belief that people affected by cancer deserve support for the body, mind, relationships, and spirit.

One of the most moving milestones was the continued sharing of our documentary, Empower, which captures the healing journeys of cancer survivors and the impact of the Patient Empowerment Programs. We were honoured to premiere two special features - one dedicated to patients and one to clinicians - and to witness the powerful conversations it continues to inspire.

▶ Watch Empower Documentary

Empower premiere in Piatra Neamț, Romania with Medisprof team (2025)

Internationally, our collaborations continue to grow. We are especially grateful for our expanding work in New Zealand, including our collaboration with the Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand and the Southern Cancer Society of New Zealand. Through the Southern Cancer Society, CancerPEP is now available free of charge to Southern Island patients in New Zealand affected by cancer.

Learn More About CancerPEP in New Zealand

This is an important step in our broader vision: making Patient Empowerment Programs available beyond research studies, so that patients can access evidence-based support through partnerships with not-for-profit and other organizations that help cover program costs.

Patients can also find free CancerPEP programs for lung cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, chronic myeloid leukemia, colorectal cancer at cancerpep.com/find-my-program, prostate cancer at pcpep.org, and breast cancer (opening September 2026) at bcpep.org.

We are also continuing to expand PC-PEP internationally, with active collaborations in Romania, Belgium, and South Africa. We are preparing to roll out Romanian and Dutch versions of PC-PEP in fall 2026, helping bring culturally and linguistically accessible survivorship care to more men and families around the world.

Closer to home, we are proud of our partnership with the Aberdeen Health Foundation in Pictou County. Together, we completed the PictouCountyPEP program, published the first outcomes, and are now completing a cost-effectiveness analysis that we plan to share through a scientific manuscript this fall. This work is helping us understand how digital, home-based empowerment programs can support people living with one or more chronic medical conditions - and how these programs may be scaled more broadly across Nova Scotia and beyond.

We are also deeply grateful to the QEII Foundation and CIBC for their generous support of $546,898 toward the launch of BreastCancerPEP, a Phase 3 randomized clinical trial designed to bring a six-month digital empowerment program to women affected by breast cancer in Nova Scotia.

This year also marked important progress in language access. With heartfelt thanks to Tolmar, Frank and Debbi Sobey for supporting the French translation of PC-PEP, we have expanded access for French-speaking patients, including through new PC-PEP sites across Québec.

Our health equity work has continued to grow through the generous support of Movember’s pan-Canadian Health Equity Grant. This funding is enabling us to strengthen PC-PEP for underserved and at-risk communities, including Black men, Indigenous men, gay, bisexual, transgender men, younger men, and rural and remote communities.

A major part of this work includes our Memorandum of Understanding with the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples. We were honoured to attend and present at the Honouring Our Health Workshop in Ottawa, and to continue building relationships with partners across the country.

With the Chiefs and National Chief of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples

Presenting at the Honouring Our Health event organized by CAP in Ottawa (March 2026)

Every step forward has been possible because of the generosity, trust, and commitment of many people. We extend our deepest gratitude to our donors and funders, including Frank and Debbi Sobey, whose vision through the Soillse Endowment continues to sustain and inspire this work.

We also thank our participants, who trust us during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. Many have become mentors, Research Citizen Leads, ambassadors, and advocates for others.

Liverpool, Nova Scotia with PC-PEP Mentors and Research Staff

To our team - students, research staff, residents, nurses, clinicians, collaborators, community leaders, and partners - thank you for your tireless work and dedication.

As co-founders, Dr. Gabriela Ilie and Dr. Rob Rutledge remain deeply committed to advancing the science and spirit of patient empowerment.

We hope this newsletter offers a meaningful glimpse into what we have accomplished together - and where we are headed next.

With heartfelt thanks,
The PEP Team

🌍 PC-PEP is Now Available in French - Dutch & Romanian Coming Fall 2026

We are excited to announce that the Prostate Cancer-Patient Empowerment Program (PC-PEP) is now free for all participants and fully available in French! The Dutch and Romanian versions are currently being translated and will be available for patients starting in fall 2026. Participants from anywhere are welcome to join the French version now.

PC-PEP is also launching at multiple hospital sites in the province of Québec, marking an important milestone in expanding access to supportive care across Canada. We are also launching sites in Belgium, marking an important expansion internationally.

If you or someone you know is a French speaker and would benefit from this program, please visit the link below or contact us at PEP@nshealth.ca. For Dutch and Romanian versions, please check back in fall 2026.

💙 PC-PEP Awarded $499K Health Equity Grant by Movember

We are deeply grateful to Movember for awarding PC-PEP a $499,000 CAD Health Equity Grant to expand access to prostate cancer survivorship support for underserved and equity-deserving communities across Canada.

Our engagement with Indigenous communities is conducted with deep respect and in accordance with the principles of partnership and self-determination. We are committed to presenting our findings to the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples and to being guided by their wishes regarding the use and sharing of data. To honour both our Movember funding deliverables and our respectful partnership with Indigenous communities, we have also included younger men as an additional priority population in our equity evaluation.

Over the past year, this funding has allowed us to engage more deeply with men from priority communities through needs assessments, focus groups, participant-led conversations, community partnerships, podcasts, and educational events. Lived experience is helping shape a more inclusive and responsive model of survivorship care.

We also extend our heartfelt thanks to the Tracey Foundation for their generous $10,000 CAD donation supporting our work with younger men living with prostate cancer.

We are also grateful to the Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada for awarding a $10,000 CAD Clinical Research Grant to support our study, Prostate Cancer Patient Empowerment Program (PC-PEP) for Men with Metastatic Disease: A Prospective Phase 4 Cohort Study With a Non-Metastatic Comparator.

One of the most meaningful outcomes has been the continued growth of the PC-PEP Podcast, now featuring 15 episodes that amplify the voices of men with lived experience.

Explore the Health Equity Initiative

📷 Health Equity & Community Engagement

Presentation at the Walnut Foundation (supporting the Black men's community) community event, Toronto 2025

European Urologic Association Equity Event Presentation, EUA 2026

Health Equity and Community-Led Survivorship Care

With the support of Movember’s Health Equity Grant and partners such as the Tracey Foundation, we are continuing to tailor PC-PEP to better support Black men, Indigenous men, 2SLGBTQ+ men, younger men, rural and remote men, and other underserved communities.

This work is being shaped directly by men with lived experience through focus groups, participant-led conversations, community partnerships, podcasts, and our Men of the Month initiative.

Our equity work has also led to meaningful academic impact. Several PC-PEP manuscripts focused on equity-deserving populations have been accepted for publication or are currently under peer review.

Equity Results at a Glance (Phase 4 Trial)

📊 Equity Results - Retention & Mental Health by Group

Gay & Bisexual Men vs. Heterosexual Men

Black Men vs. Non-Black Men

Younger Men (<60) vs. Older Men

Rural vs. Urban Men

Major Milestone for BreastCancerPEP

BreastCancerPEP will offer a six-month, digitally delivered, home-based empowerment program designed to support women throughout breast cancer treatment and recovery - bringing together evidence-based education, physical activity, stress reduction, social connection, and whole-person support.

Learn More About BreastCancerPEP

🎥 Empower Documentary: Stories of Resilience, Humanity & Community

One year ago, we released our documentary Empower, a moving film that follows the lives of cancer survivors and the creators of the Patient Empowerment Program. More than a documentary, Empower is a story of resilience, humanity, and community.

The film shares the powerful stories of John Underhill and Melanie Smith, whose journeys reveal how strength, meaning, and purpose can emerge even in the face of life-changing illness.

This past year, in Piatra Neamț, Romania, we partnered with our dear friend and collaborator, Andrei Carabelea from Medisprof, to host two special premieres of Empower - one dedicated to patients and one to clinicians. The energy in the room was extraordinary.

We are also proud to share that Empower was awarded Best Documentary at the Mosaic International Film Festival and was selected for the CineHealth International Health and Wellness Film Festival.

We also honour the memory of John Underhill (1963-2024) and Sean Smith (1965-2024). Their lives, courage, and generosity continue to inspire this work.

“We are spiritual beings on a human journey, here to learn from and help one another. If what you’re doing isn’t helping others, you may be missing the point.”
- John Underhill

🎤 Selected PC-PEP Presentations & Conferences

Our team has been actively sharing our work at major national and international conferences this year:

• European Association of Urology Research Conference - London, UK (March 2026): Presentation on the international implementation of a digital, whole-person survivorship program.
• CAPO (Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology) Annual Conference - St. John’s, Newfoundland (June 2026)
• Canadian Urological Association (CUA) Annual Meeting - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (July 2026)
• Taking Care of Our Health Workshop - Corner Brook, Newfoundland (May 21, 2026): Free public talk on preventing cancer and chronic conditions, and navigating the medical system.
• The Complete Guide to the Anti-Cancer Diet - Webinar: Practical overview busting dietary myths, time-restricted eating, shopping and meal prep advice.
• Vagus Nerve Webinar - Practical techniques to reduce stress and support healing (CancerPEP team).
• Honouring Our Health Workshop - Congress of Aboriginal Peoples - Ottawa, Canada (May 2026)
• The Anti-Cancer Diet: From Science to Practical Advice - Calgary, Alberta (April 2026)
• ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium - San Francisco, California (February 2026)
• Walnut Foundation’s Annual Prostate Cancer Conference - Toronto, Ontario (October 2025)
• ESAU National Oncology Nurses Conference - Pretoria, South Africa (October 2025)
• PCFC Coast to Coast Mental Health Series - Halifax, Nova Scotia (October 2025)
• Medisprof 11th Edition of Best of ASCO - Cluj-Napoca, Romania (November 2025)
• Canadian Urology Association - Ottawa, Ontario (June 2025)

We had thoughtful and energizing discussions, and we are especially encouraged by emerging collaborative opportunities across the UK, Ireland, Germany, Mexico, and beyond.

📷 Conferences & Presentations Gallery

📰 PEP in the Media

🎙️ The Prostate Cancer - Patient Empowerment Program (PC-PEP) Podcast

We are excited to share the powerful, personal stories of our participants as they reflect on their journeys with prostate cancer. These podcasts offer raw, honest, and deeply human conversations that explore not just diagnosis and treatment, but also resilience, purpose, connection, and healing.

Each episode is available in both audio and video formats. Listen on YouTube, Buzzsprout, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and more.

🎧 Listen to All Episodes 📺 Watch on YouTube

Recent Episodes Include:

📚 Featured Lab Publications

Our team continues to advance the evidence base for patient empowerment and whole-person cancer care. Here are some of our recent and upcoming publications:

View All Publications on pcpep.org

🏆 Awards & Recognition 2025

📍 PictouCountyPEP: Key Outcomes Published

PictouCountyPEP is a 6-month home-based program designed to improve the physical and mental wellbeing of adults in Pictou County living with chronic illness.

Read the First Outcomes Paper

📷 Pictou County PEP Gallery of Secondary Outcomes Results

👥 PC-PEP Soillse Lab Team

Our work is powered by an incredible team of researchers, clinicians, students, and community partners at Dalhousie University and Nova Scotia Health.

We also extend our heartfelt thanks to our Site Principal Investigators across Canada and internationally, and to the more than 196 referring clinicians worldwide who help connect patients with PC-PEP, CancerPEP, PictouCountyPEP, BreastPEP, PEPLife, and related Patient Empowerment Programs. Their trust, referrals, and partnership are essential to expanding access to whole-person care.

Co-Founders & Leads

Research Staff & Trainees (Selected)

Nathan Smith (Postdoctoral Fellow), Jordan Cole (Research Assistant Coordinator), Calvin Butler (MSc student), Olamide Okedara (Research in Medicine - Med year 1 - student), Will Carruthers (Research Assistant), Stuart Murphy (Medical Student), Lola Riley (Research Assistant), Sarah Taylar (Research Assistant Coordinator), Lily MacLeod (Volunteer), and many dedicated student volunteers and urology medical residents including Dr. Budoor Salman, Dr. Liam Power, Dr. Emily Chewdrawe, Dr. Fahad Alzahrani, Dr. Becky Power, Dr. Wyatt MacNevin, Dr. Maren Brodovsky, Dr. Stacy de Lima, and more.

We are also grateful to our recently graduated team members who have moved on to medical school, new positions, and continued contributions to patient-centred care.

📷 Team & Trainees Photo Gallery

❤️ With Heartfelt Thanks

We extend our deepest gratitude to all the patients and partners who have participated - and continue to participate - in our research studies. Many have taken on the roles of mentors and Research Citizen Leads.

We are especially grateful to our dedicated funders and donors who make this work possible:

Frank and Debbi Sobey (Soillse Research Fund), Movember (Health Equity Fund), Tracey Foundation, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Canada, QEII Foundation, CIBC, Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation / DMRF, Research Nova Scotia, Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute, New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF), TOLMAR Pharmaceuticals, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Knight Pharmaceuticals, Aberdeen Health Foundation, TERSERA, Healing and Cancer Foundation, Pictou County Prostate Cancer Support Association, Prostate Cancer Support Group Toronto, and many generous individual donors. We are especially grateful to the QEII Foundation, CIBC, and the thousands of riders, donors, volunteers, and supporters of the BMO Ride for Cancer whose generosity is helping bring BreastCancerPEP to women across Nova Scotia.