Making difficult choices about prostate cancer

Making difficult choices about prostate cancer

…

Gilbert Khalil’s fitness and bright eyes make it hard to believe he is 65. All that calm and confidence, however, took a big hit a year ago when his physician discovered trouble in the prostate gland. Khalil and his wife, Stacee, turned to Stanford Hospital, where robotic surgery performed by Mark Gonzalgo, MD, PhD, meant he was well and could return to his active life sooner than expected.
…

Gilbert Khalil’s exemplary fitness did not protect him against prostate cancer – after age 60, the risk rises for every man. Khalil, a project manager from Danville, took a very orderly approach to decide how to proceed after his diagnosis. He had watched his mother and brother endure the side effects of their cancer treatments, so he and his wife Stacee read everything they could. “They all had consequences,” he told me. “We decided we wanted to get a second or even a third opinion.” The couple ended up at Stanford, talking with Mark Gonzalgo, MD, PhD, director of robotic-assisted urologic cancer surgery. This video tells their story.

Mark Gonzalgo, MD, PhD, director of Robotic-Assisted Urologic Cancer Surgery at Stanford (right), meets with Stacee and Gil Khalil.

By Sara Wykes

###

* Stanford University Medical Center integrates research, medical education and patient care at its three institutions – Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.

**  The above story is adapted from materials provided by Stanford University School of Medicine

________________________________________________________________