Behavioral health during cancer care is a critical issue. Anyone faced with a cancer diagnosis is faced with emotional, social, spiritual, familial and other issues. On top of that, for men in our society there is an expectation that vulnerability and asking for help is weakness. The non-profit organization Man Up to Cancer seeks to upend that expectation by helping men find social and emotional support from other men during their cancer journeys. MUTC has been successful at growing a community and gaining support from oncology community for its work, but no data exists to prove that peer-to-peer support for men facing cancer works. That’s where a 2025 ORAU-Directed Research and Development Grant comes in. Primary Investigator Katherine Chyka, ORAU health education specialist, and Teresa Hagan Thomas, PhD, RN, FAAN, associate professor in the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, launched a pilot study to measure the acceptability and feasibility of peer-to-per support for men facing cancer. In this episode of Further Together, hosts Michael Holtz and Amber Davis talk to Chyka and Thomas for an early look at their research. Data analysis is still underway, but the team has already gained valuable insights.

Disclosure: Holtz is chairman of the board of directors for Man Up to Cancer and proposed a study of peer-to-peer support for men facing cancer as part of a white paper he wrote in 2023. Holtz helped train navigators for the study and recruited members of the Community Advisory Board but was not involved in the study itself. The white paper and more information can be found here: https://www.orau.org/news/releases/2023/making-an-impact-on-cancer-personally-and-professionally.html

To learn more about Man Up to Cancer, visit https://manuptocancer.org/

ORAU-Directed Research and Development Grants support collaborations between ORAU subject matter experts and faculty at our University Consortium member institutions. To learn more, visit https://www.orau.org/partnerships/grant-programs/odrd.html