Listening, Learning and Acting: Prostate Cancer Survivor Derrick Nelson Champions Community Health

By Manal Abbadi

After successfully completing treatment for prostate and liver cancer at Mayo Clinic, Derrick Nelson is celebrating a major milestone: no detectable cancer.

Now, as a member of the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Community Advisory Board (CAB) and Cancer Advocacy Program (CAP), he’s turning his survivorship into action. Derrick encourages others to get screened and even offers rides to those who don’t have transportation. His outreach has led to earlier cancer detection and better outcomes. His feedback has also helped make cancer education materials easier to understand and more accessible to diverse communities.

Championing Two-Way Learning

Derrick is a strong advocate for bidirectional learning—a two-way exchange between researchers and communities. His own experience with clinical trials is a powerful example. At first, he was hesitant to participate. But thanks to the trust and sincerity shown by his physician, Dr. Lionel Kankeu Fonkoua, he joined a clinical trial that helped save his life. Now, he encourages others to consider research participation and works to dispel myths and cultural hesitancy around clinical trials.

Advocacy That Drives Change

Through his roles in CAB and CAP, Derrick has helped improve Mayo Clinic’s cancer education efforts. His input has led to clearer, more accessible materials that better serve the community. One of his most powerful stories involves a community member who, thanks to Derrick’s encouragement, discovered and successfully treated a cancerous tumor.

Advice for Organizations

Derrick’s message to health organizations is simple and direct: don’t wait for the community to come to you. Be present at local events, engage consistently, and keep health messages straightforward. He praised Mayo Clinic’s visible community involvement and emphasized the importance of making materials easy to understand.

Through his survivorship, advocacy, and leadership, Derrick Nelson shows how listening, learning, and acting can improve community health. His story is a powerful reminder that one person’s voice can lead to life-changing outcomes for many.

Get Involved

At Mayo Clinic, better research begins with you. When your voice and lived experience are part of the research process, studies become more powerful, more meaningful, and more connected to real-life needs. Click here to discover ways you can participate in our community-integrated research efforts.