Numbers and Narratives – A Conversation with Alfred Samuels

In this episode

Stage-four prostate-cancer survivor Alfred Samuels joins Kevin from Merakoi Voices to explore what happens when raw patient storytelling collides with hard clinical data. Alfred takes us from the night morphine couldn’t touch his pain, through a miracle PSA drop on the STAMPEDE trial, to becoming an award-winning filmmaker and author who now educates clinicians and inspires men worldwide. Together they unpack why “509 → 0.1” only matters when listeners feel the human stakes behind those numbers—offering a playbook for anyone creating content, trials or therapeutics with patients, not just about them.

Guest Bio

Alfred Samuels – UK security-consultant-turned patient advocate, author of Invincibility in the Face of Prostate Cancer, director of the two-part documentary A Survivor Amongst Survivors (47 festival awards) and Cancer Research UK Ambassador of the Year. Diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer in 2012, Alfred became a “super-responder” whose lived experience now powers global awareness, diversity outreach and patient-led research design.

Key Topics

• From PSA 509 to < 0.1: translating stats into patient experiences
• Turning diaries into books, and books into an award-winning documentary
• Pushing back on “TV-worthy” edits: keeping the human face of cancer
• Co-creating content with caregivers: Grace’s role as first-line editor
• Reaching Black men and other under-represented groups through authentic narrative

What you need to know

About Merakoi

At Merakoi we see patients as co-creators, not numbers. Our mini-community model embeds diverse patient experts alongside life-science teams to shape trials, content and digital therapeutics from concept to launch. Ready to swap one-dimensional journey maps for stories that move hearts and markets? Let's chat!