bcpep.org

Patient Education and Empowerment Programs for Breast Cancer Patients

About Us

Helping Women Feel Supported Through the Breast Cancer Journey

“Every Monday morning as I walk into the room of a person who has a recent breast cancer diagnosis, what I’m seeing is what I call a bad case of the ‘w’s,’” says Dr. Rob Rutledge, QEII radiation oncologist and clinical lead of BreastCancerPEP.

“They’ve been waiting for a very long time. They’re worrying about what’s going to happen. They’re wondering what they should be doing.”

BreastCancerPEP was created to help close that gap.

Led by Dr. Rob Rutledge and Dr. Gabriela Ilie, scientific lead of the program, BreastCancerPEP is a six-month, digitally delivered Patient Empowerment Program designed to support women not only during breast cancer treatment, but through the physical, emotional, and practical challenges that can accompany the entire cancer journey.

Through daily, evidence-informed guidance, participants are supported with physical activity and physiotherapy, nutrition, sleep, stress reduction, visualization and mind-body practices, emotional resilience, social connection, and other practical strategies they can incorporate into everyday life. At its heart is a simple belief: treating cancer must mean caring for the whole person, not only the disease.

BreastCancerPEP builds on years of research and experience with the Patient Empowerment Program and on what patients themselves have taught us—that alongside excellent medical care, people need tools that help them regain a sense of strength, confidence, hope, and agency in their own lives.

This work would not be possible without an extraordinary community of people who believe that quality of life should be an essential part of cancer care.

We are deeply grateful to the QEII Foundation and its generous donors, Your Ride for Cancer, CIBC, Nova Scotia Health, and the many patients, clinicians, researchers, community partners, advocates, and supporters whose generosity and commitment are helping bring BreastCancerPEP to women across Nova Scotia and beyond.

Every contribution to this program represents something larger than financial support. It represents a belief that women facing breast cancer deserve to feel informed, supported, empowered, and cared for throughout the journey.

To everyone helping us build BreastCancerPEP: thank you for believing in this vision and for helping us turn it into care. 💜

Learn more here about the donor-supported BreastCancerPEP clinical trial:

Read here our conversation with Your Ride for Cancer:

Breast Cancer PEP (BC-PEP) was co-created by Drs. Gabriela Ilie and Rob Rutledge, expanding from the CancerPEP and PC-PEP programs they developed together. Their evidence-based Patient Empowerment Programs have reached thousands of people affected by cancer around the world, providing practical tools to support mental health, physical resilience, and quality of life throughout the cancer journey.

With more than 50 years of combined clinical, research, and teaching experience, award-winning innovation, and a shared passion for compassionate care, Gabriela and Rob are dedicated to empowering people affected by cancer through science, daily practice, and community connection.

Learn more about our research and publications here.

Gabriela’s Story

Gabriela Ilie, PhD, is the Endowed Soillse Scientist in Cancer Quality of Life Research and a Professor at Dalhousie University, Faculty of Medicine, with appointments in Community Health & Epidemiology, Urology, Radiation Oncology, and Psychology & Neuroscience.

She is the national scientific lead for multiple digital survivorship programs, including PC-PEP, CancerPEP, and now Breast Cancer PEP. Gabriela’s path to cancer survivorship research is as diverse as it is inspiring. Born in Romania, she began her career in media—first as a teen radio host, then as a national television news presenter by age 19. After working for the European Commission in Belgium, she immigrated to Canada at 23, excelling in telecommunications before turning to academia.

She completed her undergraduate degree and PhD in psychology at the University of Toronto on an accelerated academic path, studying the effects of music on emotion. Over 16 years, she taught more than 90 courses to over 25,000 students and was twice nominated for TVO Lecturer of the Year. Her early research produced influential publications on concussions and adolescent brain health.

A Turning Point: The Birth of PC-PEP

In 2016, Gabriela moved to Halifax to address the overlooked quality-of-life challenges facing prostate cancer survivors. On her first day, she attended a local support group and met the men who would become her first Research Citizens – patients who co-design, test, and shape her programs to this day.

Her research identified substantially higher rates of depression and anxiety among prostate cancer survivors compared with men without cancer. Together with Rob and a multidisciplinary team, she co-designed the Prostate Cancer Patient Empowerment Program (PC-PEP)—a six-month structured digital program delivering daily practices in mental health, physical activity, pelvic health, nutrition, self-compassion, partner communication, and empowerment.

Research Impact & Awards

Gabriela’s work has received national and international recognition, including:

  • Public Impact Award (2024)
  • CAPO Innovation Award (2025) – jointly with Dr. Rutledge
  • Multiple national research grants supporting digital survivorship programs
  • Creator of Empower, an award-winning documentary that received Best Documentary at the Mosaic International Film Festival (2025)

PC-PEP has been evaluated through clinical trials, with research demonstrating improvements in mental health, physical and pelvic health outcomes, and quality of life. The program is now expanding across Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Europe, and several rural and underserved regions.

Building on this foundation, Gabriela and Rob co-created CancerPEP, extending the Patient Empowerment Program approach to people affected by different cancers, and are now leading the development and evaluation of BreastCancerPEP, tailored to the physical, emotional, and functional needs of women with breast cancer – including prehabilitation and post-operative arm physiotherapy.

“Every step of my life prepared me for this work. To help create programs with Rob that truly change lives is one of the greatest privileges of my career.”

Rob’s Story


Rob Rutledge, MD, FRCPC, is a Radiation Oncologist specializing in breast, prostate, and pediatric cancers for more than 26 years, and an Associate Professor at Dalhousie University. He has cared for thousands of patients and is deeply respected for his compassionate bedside manner, clear teaching, and unwavering commitment to empowering people affected by cancer.

Raised in northern Canada, Rob studied medicine at the University of Toronto and completed his oncology residency in Ottawa. Early in his career, he became fascinated by the resilience of certain cancer survivors – those who lived with remarkable vitality despite difficult diagnoses. Understanding what made these survivors so strong became the foundation of his life’s work.

A Career Devoted to Empowering Patients

Throughout his career, Rob has:

  • Delivered hundreds of free public talks, webinars, and educational sessions
  • Led more than 60 weekend healing retreats in over 30 cities across North America
  • Founded a charity dedicated to providing emotional, psychological, and educational support to people affected by cancer
  • Become a national advocate for lifestyle medicine, stress reduction, mindfulness, and evidence-based survivorship practices
  • Co-created PC-PEP and CancerPEP, which now reach patients internationally
  • Received the CAPO Innovation Award (2025) with Dr. Ilie for their groundbreaking survivorship work

Rob is widely recognized for integrating the science of oncology with the human dimensions of healing – emotional resilience, spiritual wellbeing, connection, and meaning.

“Working with Gabriela has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my career. Our combined strengths allow us to create programs that truly change lives. Hearing from patients who say their lives are better because of the program – that is what keeps me going.”

Our Vision for Breast Cancer PEP

Breast Cancer PEP (BC-PEP) brings together:

  • The latest science in psychology, oncology, rehabilitation, and lifestyle medicine
  • Daily practices that support mental wellbeing, physical resilience, arm mobility, and emotional healing
  • A strong focus on prehabilitation and post-surgery physiotherapy
  • Community, connection, and a sense of belonging
  • Empowerment from the day of diagnosis through recovery and beyond

We believe:

  • No one should navigate cancer alone
  • Emotional and physical prehabilitation matter
  • Empowerment improves outcomes
  • Community transforms the cancer journey

Whether you are newly diagnosed, undergoing treatment, or recovering afterward,  BC-PEP is here to walk with you – every day – with science-based, compassionate guidance designed to help you heal, strengthen, and thrive.