"No One Should Go Through This Alone": A Gay Man’s Journey from Silence to Empowerment — PC-PEP Podcast Episode 6

The Prostate Cancer Patient Empowerment Program - PC-PEP - Podcast

Welcome to Episode 6 of the Prostate Cancer Patient Empowerment Program (PC-PEP) Podcast.

This initiative is proudly funded by Movember through a Health Equity grant awarded to Drs. Gabriela Ilie and Rob Rutledge and delivered in partnership with the Prostate Cancer - Patient Empowerment Program (PC-PEPTM) at Dalhousie University.

In this powerful episode, I speak with David Ashcroft, a gay man living on an island near Chester, Nova Scotia, who shares his deeply personal journey through prostate cancer — from shock and isolation to connection, knowledge, and empowerment.

When David was diagnosed, he was living in a remote area with no access to support and little information about what lay ahead. Facing fear, depression, and uncertainty, it was a chance encounter with a PC-PEP poster that changed everything.

David takes us through:

• The emotional toll of diagnosis and waiting for surgery
• The mental health challenges and stigma men — especially gay men — face when navigating cancer care
• The transformative power of finding PC-PEP and helping establish a safe, open, and affirming space for gay menin the program
• The importance of knowledge, community, and patient leadership in survivorship

This episode is a call to action to ensure that all men — regardless of sexual orientation, geography, or background — have access to programs that see them, support them, and empower them.

🔹 Listen to the episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2420283/
🔹 Watch the video version: https://youtu.be/mHrAvbgsx4E
🔹 Learn more: www.pcpep.org
🔹 Learn more (for all other forms of cancer): www.cancerpep.com
Please listen, share, and help us spread the word: No one should face prostate cancer alone.

Together, we are not just facing prostate cancer — we’re transforming how we live beyond it.

EMPOWER YOURSELF!