From cooking to kegels: daily lessons for prostate cancer patients drop care costs – CTV
June 25, 2025
HALIFAX — A new study that found a daily dose of information which helps men cope with the physical and mental distress of prostate cancer is also saving Nova Scotia’s health system money.
“This is one of those rare interventions that improves outcomes and reduces costs,” wrote Gabriela Ilie, a co-author who is a research psychologist and professor at Dalhousie University’s medical faculty, in a recent email about the “patient empowerment program,” or PEP.
The program created in 2019 by Ilie and radiation oncologist Dr. Rob Rutledge includes pelvic exercises to improve bladder control, aerobic and strength exercise routines, and instruction on how to maintain intimacy despite lost sexual capacity.
The six months of videos — delivered by email — also teaches meditation methods and provides “mostly plant-based” cooking lessons. Participants may sign up for a “buddy system” to offer mutual support as men recover from radiation, surgeries and hormone therapies.
