Man Up to Cancer

What happens when the doctor who treats cancer also knows what it's like to live with it?

This week on the Man Up to Cancer Podcast, we're joined by one of the most respected and recognizable voices in gastrointestinal oncology, Dr. Mark Lewis.

Mark is the Director of Gastrointestinal Oncology at Intermountain Health in Utah, where he specializes in treating cancers of the digestive system. He's also become a beloved voice in the cancer community for his ability to explain complicated science in plain English, his refreshing honesty, and his sense of humor.

But Mark's relationship with cancer goes much deeper than his medical career.

When he was just eight years old, his father was diagnosed with cancer, just as the family was moving from Scotland to the United States.

Years later, on the very first day of his oncology fellowship at the Mayo Clinic, Mark received his own diagnosis of a hereditary cancer syndrome called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 (MEN1), the same cancer that caused his father's death at age 49.

He's experienced cancer from three very different perspectives: as a son, as an oncologist, and as a patient.

In this deeply personal conversation, we explore how those experiences have shaped his life, his approach to medicine, and his understanding of what people really need when they're facing cancer. We talk about the emotional burdens men carry, the importance of human connection in cancer care, finding the balance between hope and realism, and why even the experts need people in their corner.

It's a conversation about much more than cancer treatment. It's about family, vulnerability, humor, and the humanity that connects us all.

Intermountain Health: https://www.intermountainhealth.org/

Dr. Lewis' father's book: Between Cross and Resurrection: A Theology of Holy Saturday, by the Rev. Dr. Alan E. Lewis.

Dr. Mark Lewis quick bio: Dr. Mark A. Lewis received his medical degree, completed his internal medicine residency, and served as chief resident at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. After completing a hematology/oncology fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he served as chief fellow, he returned to Houston to work at the MD Anderson Cancer Center for four years, with a dual appointment in general & gastrointestinal medical oncology, before assuming the directorship of gastrointestinal oncology at Intermountain Health in 2016. He is active on social media (Twitter/X @marklewismd).

SPONSOR SHOUT-OUT!

I want to thank my sponsor for this episode, Foundation Medicine.

Every patient living with cancer deserves the opportunity to be on an effective medicine. However, precision cancer care can only be as good as the quality and accuracy of the cancer biomarker test used to inform treatment. But not all cancer biomarker tests are created equal. High-quality biomarker tests can provide the clarity needed to develop a patient’s personalized cancer treatment plan. Foundation Medicine puts quality first so patients receive accurate, personalized treatment options. See why quality matters by visiting foundationmedicine.com/qualityfirst.

I can't make this podcast happen without sponsors that believe in storytelling and the elevation of real patient voices.

All views are my own, and the opinions expressed in this show do not necessarily reflect the views or endorsements of our sponsors.

After building a life fitness forward, one man's determination to get back to his fitness helped him survive his cancer.

Chas Rodgers is about to make you laugh, think, and maybe even shed a tear.

More than anything though, in this episode of the Man Up to Cancer Podcast, Chas is going to light a fire under your ass to GET UP AND MOVE!

As a longtime fitness professional and coach, Chas has spent most of his adult life doing just that.

He's a U.S. Navy veteran who lives in San Diego, father of three, and passionate advocate for men facing prostate cancer.

He was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer at age 45. His cancer was discovered because he asked his doctor a simple question: Was there anything else he should be checking, particularly as a Black man?

That question may have saved his life.

Since his diagnosis in 2013, Chas has endured prostate surgery, radiation, additional procedures, and complications that changed his body and his life. The physical challenges were difficult enough. But the emotional toll, sexual dysfunction, changes in his relationships, and struggles with his sense of masculinity were every bit as challenging.

Today, Chas continues to work in fitness and advocate for men with prostate cancer. His message isn't about pushing through pain or accomplishing extraordinary athletic feats. It's about meeting yourself where you are, and finding ways to keep moving.

In this episode, Chas and I talk about:

• How a routine physical and an unexpected PSA test led to his diagnosis at age 45
• Why Black men need to be proactive about prostate cancer screening and early detection
• How prostate cancer treatment affected his masculinity, sexual function, relationships, and mental health
• How he went from struggling to walk up a hill to gradually rebuilding his strength
• Why a five-minute walk can be more meaningful than an impressive fitness accomplishment
• The importance of giving yourself grace and not comparing your body today with what it could do before cancer

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Prostate Cancer Research Institute (PCRI) — Patient education about prostate cancer, testing, treatment options, and survivorship.
• Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) — Research, education, and resources for patients and families.
• American Cancer Society — Cancer information, screening guidance, and support services.
• VA Community Care — Information for veterans about accessing eligible healthcare services from community providers through the VA.

Ready for More Than Walking? Try This Beginner Strength Routine

Chas Rodgers has a simple message for men rebuilding their fitness during or after cancer: Start where you are. Keep moving. Give yourself grace.

If you've established a regular walking routine and feel ready for the next step, consider adding this gentle bodyweight workout.

Complete the following exercises slowly and comfortably, and then increase your number of sets and reps:

Chair Squats (Sit-to-Stands) — 8 repetitions

Sit in a sturdy chair, stand up, then slowly sit back down. Use your hands for assistance if needed.

Wall Push-Ups — 8 repetitions

Stand facing a wall, place your hands against it at shoulder height, and slowly bend and straighten your arms.

Standing Calf Raises — 10 repetitions

Hold a counter or sturdy chair for balance. Slowly rise onto your toes, then lower your heels.

Standing Marches — 20 steps total

March slowly in place, lifting one knee at a time. Hold a counter for balance if needed.

How to use this workout: Start with one round, twice a week, on nonconsecutive days. Warm up with a few minutes of easy walking, rest whenever needed, and gradually work toward two rounds as the exercises become easier.

No gym. No weights. No pressure to keep up with anyone else.

Before starting, check with your cancer care team, particularly if you're in active treatment, recovering from surgery, or dealing with balance problems, neuropathy, bone metastases, or other treatment-related limitations.

SPONSOR SHOUT OUT!

I want to thank my sponsor for this episode, Pfizer.

This Is Living with Cancer™ is a free online resource developed by Pfizer Oncology for all people​ living with cancer, regardless of age, income, race, location, cancer type, or stage of disease. This​ comprehensive program is available to anyone in the US, whether they’re on a Pfizer​ treatment or not, with a growing focus on those facing challenges accessing care.

Visit ThisIsLivingWithCancer.com to learn more.

I can't make this podcast happen without sponsors that believe in storytelling and the elevation of real patient voices.

All views are my own, and the opinions expressed in this show do not necessarily reflect the views or endorsements of our sponsors.

Twice a week, Bob Lane takes a seat beside an elevator at a prostate cancer clinic in Charlotte, N.C., and waits.

The men who come through those doors may have just learned their cancer has spread. They may be scared, overwhelmed, or unsure what questions to ask. Bob doesn't approach them. He lets them come to him.

And they do.

Bob has now talked with hundreds of patients and families — sharing what he's learned from more than a decade of living with prostate cancer, including metastatic disease that spread to the very top of his spine.

Around the clinic, everybody knows him by another name:

Elevator Bob.

Bob is 70 years old, a retired insurance professional from South Carolina, and a husband, father, prostate cancer patient and advocate. He was diagnosed in 2014, and today his metastatic cancer is stable on treatment. His advocacy now extends well beyond that elevator, through speaking, media appearances, and work with prostate cancer organizations across the country.

Today, you're going to meet him.

Bob's "three-legged" stool approach to patient support and information:

1) Medical care team

2) Family and friends

3) Other patients who have walked the road before you

SPONSOR SHOUT OUT!

I want to thank my sponsor for this episode, Pfizer.

This Is Living with Cancer™ is a free online resource developed by Pfizer Oncology for all people​ living with cancer, regardless of age, income, race, location, cancer type, or stage of disease. This​ comprehensive program is available to anyone in the US, whether they’re on a Pfizer​ treatment or not, with a growing focus on those facing challenges accessing care.

Visit ThisIsLivingWithCancer.com to learn more.

I can't make this podcast happen without sponsors that believe in storytelling and the elevation of real patient voices.

All views are my own, and the opinions expressed in this show do not necessarily reflect the views or endorsements of our sponsors.

This episode is a special one for me because my guests are Ed St. John and Ken McGhee, two of the leaders of an organization called The PC Tribe — a peer-to-peer brotherhood for men living with prostate cancer.

And the PC Tribe has some pretty deep roots in Man Up to Cancer.

Its founder, Tracy Morgan, was one of the early members of our community and became a close friend. Tracy saw what was happening when guys with all types of cancer started connecting with each other inside the Howling Place, MUTC's original FB group.

He believed men with prostate cancer needed a place of their own to build those same kinds of relationships. So in 2021, he created the PC Tribe.

What started with one guy pushing a button to create a Facebook group has grown into a community of more than 1,800 men from around the world, with Zoom gatherings, an annual in-person Rendezvous, and a growing organization dedicated to making sure men don't face prostate cancer alone.

Tracy died in October 2025.

But what he created is very much alive.

And two of the men helping carry it forward are with me today.

https://www.facebook.com/ThePCTribe public page

https://www.facebook.com/groups/thepctribeprivate private group

www.pctribe.org

SPONSOR SHOUT OUT!

I want to thank my sponsor for this episode, Pfizer.

This Is Living with Cancer™ is a free online resource developed by Pfizer Oncology for all people​ living with cancer, regardless of age, income, race, location, cancer type, or stage of disease. This​ comprehensive program is available to anyone in the US, whether they’re on a Pfizer​ treatment or not, with a growing focus on those facing challenges accessing care.

Visit ThisIsLivingWithCancer.com to learn more.

I can't make this podcast happen without sponsors that believe in storytelling and the elevation of real patient voices.

All views are my own, and the opinions expressed in this show do not necessarily reflect the views or endorsements of our sponsors.

During our conversation for the Man Up to Cancer Podcast, Andrés Garrido took a deep breath and said this:

“The only thing you have in life is affection.”

From more than 5,000 miles away, I felt an instant connection to this man I'd never met. I'm so proud to share that moment with you.

When Andrés was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer at age 51, he approached it the way he had approached some of the hardest climbs of his life.

A lifelong cyclist from Chile who has spent decades climbing the Andes Mountains, Andrés was determined to fight, endure, and keep moving upward.

But cancer challenged far more than his physical strength. Surgery, radiation and hormone therapy shook his sense of control, sexuality and identity as a man.

In this deeply intimate conversation, Andrés speaks like a warrior poet. He shares openly about depression and shame, rebuilding intimacy with his wife of 37 years, and discovering how desperately men need meaningful friendships with other men. He also takes us inside Chilean culture, where prostate cancer, sexual side effects and male vulnerability can still be surrounded by stigma and silence.

Cycling runs through Andrés' story. When his doctor warned that treatment-related muscle loss might keep him from crossing the Andes again, Andrés promised to send him a photograph from his bike when he made it across. He did.

Eleven years after diagnosis, Andrés no longer speaks of cancer simply as an enemy. He describes it as an uninvited guest that taught him unforgettable lessons.

“The only thing you have in life is affection.”

This is a conversation about prostate cancer, masculinity, marriage, friendship and survival — and about the walls that can come down when two men give each other permission to be vulnerable. It is one of the most intimate conversations we've had on the Man Up to Cancer podcast.

In this episode, Andrés and I talk about:

• Facing aggressive, high-grade prostate cancer with no symptoms or family history
• Losing control of the life he thought he had planned
• Shame, depression, vulnerability and rebuilding intimacy after treatment
• Andrés’ 37-year marriage and finding a new chapter together
• Prostate cancer, masculinity and stigma in Chile
• Andrés’ vision for supporting patients in rural Patagonia

SPONSOR SHOUT OUT!

I want to thank my sponsor for this episode, Pfizer.

This Is Living with Cancer™ is a free online resource developed by Pfizer Oncology for all people​ living with cancer, regardless of age, income, race, location, cancer type, or stage of disease. This​ comprehensive program is available to anyone in the US, whether they’re on a Pfizer​ treatment or not, with a growing focus on those facing challenges accessing care.

Visit ThisIsLivingWithCancer.com to learn more.

I can't make this podcast happen without sponsors that believe in storytelling and the elevation of real patient voices.

All views are my own, and the opinions expressed in this show do not necessarily reflect the views or endorsements of our sponsors.

Mark Harris is one of those guys who makes you feel better just by being around him.

He's a prostate cancer survivor, longtime fitness professional, husband, father, man of deep faith, and a tireless advocate for men with cancer. His enthusiasm for life is infectious. And behind that enthusiasm is a story of cancer, unimaginable loss, faith, and purpose.

Mark was diagnosed with prostate cancer in October 2013 at age 57. When his urologist told him, "You have prostate cancer, but I'm going to do everything I can to help you," Mark focused on the second half of that sentence. That's Mark. He was raised to look for the bright side, even when it's hard to find.

Then, just six days later, Mark's 30-year-old son, Mychal, was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer of the salivary gland.

Suddenly, father and son were traveling the cancer road together.

Mychal died four months later, in February 2014. Mark underwent his own radical prostatectomy just two months after losing his son. More than a decade later, his prostate cancer remains undetectable.

Through everything Mark has endured, two things have remained foundational: look for the bright side, and keep the faith.

Today, he has turned those beliefs into action. Mark works with cancer support groups, researchers, cancer centers and advocacy organizations across the country. He is especially passionate about reaching Black men, who face a disproportionate burden from prostate cancer, and getting men to become more proactive about their health.

In this episode, Mark and I talk about:

• What it really means for a man to be "strong" during cancer
• Why talking about cancer doesn't take away your masculinity
• Going through cancer alongside his son and then grieving his death
• The faith that has carried Mark through the hardest moments of his life
• Making an informed prostate cancer treatment decision
• Why men need to know their PSA number, not just assume their doctor does
• The disproportionate impact of prostate cancer on Black men
• How Mark's cancer experience grew into a life of patient advocacy and service

SPONSOR SHOUT OUT!

I want to thank my sponsor for this episode, Pfizer.

This Is Living with Cancer™ is a free online resource developed by Pfizer Oncology for all people​ living with cancer, regardless of age, income, race, location, cancer type, or stage of disease. This​ comprehensive program is available to anyone in the US, whether they’re on a Pfizer​ treatment or not, with a growing focus on those facing challenges accessing care.

Visit ThisIsLivingWithCancer.com to learn more.

I can't make this podcast happen without sponsors that believe in storytelling and the elevation of real patient voices.

All views are my own, and the opinions expressed in this show do not necessarily reflect the views or endorsements of our sponsors.

Joe Bullock from Durham, N.C., has been my right-hand man, my ride or die, and one of my closest friends for more than six years.

I’m incredibly grateful for his friendship and for the professional partnership we’ve built along the way. Man Up to Cancer simply would not be what it is today without Joe. We’ve built this thing together through some incredible highs, some crushing losses, and a whole lot of moments when neither of us really knew what the hell we were doing.

Joe now serves as Director of Programs and Partnerships for Man Up to Cancer.

For Joe’s sixth appearance on the MUTC Podcast, we talk about:

• The Gathering of Wolves: How a crazy idea to bring guys together in the woods in 2022 has grown into the fiery hot center of the MUTC movement — and what we never want to lose as it grows.
• Men, cancer and mental health: Joe is leading the upcoming Men’s Cancer and Mental Health Conference at UNC, and we talk about why this event needs to exist and where the cancer system still falls short when it comes to the emotional lives of men.
• Joe’s upcoming book: Joe talks about the book he’s writing. It's his own deeply personal story of cancer and survivorship, and an exploration of friendship, fear, grief, identity, and the emotional scars that don’t disappear when treatment ends.

You can connect with Joe at [email protected].

LINKS:

Man Up to Cancer

Gathering of Wolves men's cancer retreat

Men's Cancer and Mental Health Conference

Colontown

Want to hear more about Joe, his story, and the early days of Man Up to Cancer? Here are the links to his five previous appearances on the podcast.

Howlin' Joe Bullock — July 14, 2020, Episode 1

Listen to Howlin' Joe Bullock

Cancerland legend Joe Bullock is back to talk about the Howling Place, COLONTOWN JR., and... forest bathing — January 12, 2021, Episode 23

Listen to the episode

Has Joe Bullock cloned himself? #Cancerland needs to know! — March 22, 2022, Episode 57

Listen to Has Joe Bullock cloned himself?

Man Up to Cancer grows up w/ Joe Bullock — January 9, 2024, Episode 73

Listen to Man Up to Cancer grows up

Two guys With Cancer and a Dream — February 24, 2026, Episode 83

Listen to Two guys With Cancer and a Dream

Today's episode is a solo show. Just me and my thoughts. Yikes.

I take off the masks and get as honest and heart-centered as possible in answering the question:

After 8+ years of surgeries and treatments, many close calls, navigating the maze of oncology care, and times I should not have made it through...

Why am I still here?

To all the patients and families living with cancer, I'm sending you big hugs from Maine.

-Trevor

Happy summer 2026 to all of the listeners out there in Cancerland!

I hope you're having your best summer possible. Living in Maine can be tough for many cold months, so when summer comes, we make the most of it. I'm taking some breaks this summer to spend time at camp off the grid in northern Maine, at the beach, and right here in my backyard with my wife and our daughters who are both home from college.

For those of you who know what we've gone through in more than eight years living with metastatic cancer, you know how special that time is.

So for today's podcast, we are going deep into the vault to bring you one of my favorite shows, Episode 16 from October of 2020.

We were in the grips of the pandemic, watching Top Chef as a family, and we find out that one of our favorite chefs, Kevin Gillespie, is a fellow cancer survivor.

I find the contact information for his people, I reach out and I'm like, hey, Kevin, you should come on the podcast! And because he’s an awesome human, he does!

Kevin Gillespie is an acclaimed chef, restaurant owner, and businessman who became a breakout star on Top Chef. He is the founder and owner of Red Beard Restaurants, including the restaurants Gunshow in his home state of Georgia.

Kevin is a survivor of a rare form of renal cancer, for which he had a kidney removed in 2018.

Enjoy this throwback to Episode 16, and I'll see you in a few weeks.

@chefkevingillespie

@redbeardrestaurants

@bravotopchef

If you know the show, you know I've been living with stage IV colon cancer since March of 2018, more than eight years. I've endured many surgeries and treatments, and I'm still fighting for survival and for my family.

I wouldn't wish this disease on anyone.

But I sure am grateful for the brothers I've made who are walking the same road.

Keith Hollingsworth of Lafayette, Indiana, is one of those dear friends.

Keith was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in May of 2021. Since tht time he has been fighting this disease with chemo, radiation, clinical trials, and multiple surgeries. He is a husband and parent to two teenage boys. In his free time, he likes to spend it with his family, whether that's attending the boys' sporting events, fishing, or working on projects around the house while looking after their three dogs.

Keith and I have a lot of similarities in our journeys. We were the same age at diagnosis. Same type of cancer. We both had young children, a supportive wife, we both became students of our disease because we realized that no one else was going to care about our survival and our families as much as us.

Spend an hour with us to see what brotherhood during cancer looks like.

Shout outs to Colontown, the Clue movie, and Keith's beloved Michigan Football.

SPONSOR SHOUT OUT!

I want to thank my sponsor for this episode, Pfizer.

This Is Living with Cancer™ is a free online resource developed by Pfizer Oncology for all people​ living with cancer, regardless of age, income, race, location, cancer type, or stage of disease. This​ comprehensive program is available to anyone in the US, whether they’re on a Pfizer​ treatment or not, with a growing focus on those facing challenges accessing care.

Visit ThisIsLivingWithCancer.com to learn more.

I can't make this podcast happen without sponsors that believe in storytelling and the elevation of real patient voices.

All views are my own, and the opinions expressed in this show do not necessarily reflect the views or endorsements of our sponsors.