Former President Joe Biden is battling an aggressive form of prostate cancer. He made the announcement over the weekend.
While he said he’s weighing his treatment options, Central Florida is home to some of the global leaders in the fight against prostate cancer.
News 6 anchor Bridgett Ellison talked to Dr. Vipul Patel, medical director at Advent Health Celebration’s Global Robotics Institute, about the recent headlines about President Biden’s battle.
Dr. Patel is also executive director of the Society Of Robotic Surgery and a professor of urology at the UCF School of Medicine. He is one of the most experienced in the world in the field of robotic-assisted surgery. In fact, Dr. Patel’s set to reach 20,000 robotic prostatectomies this year.
Prostate cancer affects an estimated 3.4 million men and many don’t know they have it. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in men.
Dr. Patel says he’s noticed more patients under 55 being diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer. Despite those increased cases, he says he’s hopeful about the advancement of technology and medicine in the fight.
You may remember News6 first introduced Dr. Patel when one of our managers, Erik Sandoval, went through treatment and beat prostate cancer.
Thanks to his shared journey, more awareness is being built around the disease.
Learn more about prostate cancer when you watch Dr. Patel’s full interview here: