2025 was a big year for our Founder — Dr. Vipul Patel! November 11, 2025, he and his team completed their 20,000th robotic prostatectomy. Patel is widely recognized as the surgeon who has completed the most robotic prostatectomies in the world. He also serves as a leader in training other surgeons, making him the world's most experienced robotic prostate surgeon. Dr. Patel is also known worldwide for advancing robotic techniques and has even performed remote (telesurgery) procedures. In fact, on June 14, 2025 he and his team performed a robotic radical prostatectomy from his operating room in Florida on a patient more than 11,000 kilometers away in Angola.  The goal of the robotic surgery was to remove a cancerous prostate in a patient who would otherwise not have access to advanced surgical treatments. ABC News did a feature on this historic event.

A Founder Message on PSA testing

read the full Axios article here.

A Letter from our Founder

Vipul Patel, MD, FACS Medical Director.  Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men, afflicting between 25-30,000 men yearly.  In the US, over 3 million men currently have the diagnosis of prostate cancer.  However, despite this, prostate cancer is still not commonly discussed in society today and the awareness of this male cancer pales in comparison to breast cancer in women.

I created the International Prostate Cancer Foundation (IPCF) in 2008 to fill a void in men’s health advocacy and to raise awareness and support scientific advances in prostate cancer. The spirit of our foundation is formed from the inspiration of our doctors, patients and healthcare advocates. Our mission is to serve, educate, and innovate to help men understand their risks and what they can do.

When this journey began a quarter century ago, few could have anticipated the scale and impact of the medical innovation that would emerge. With the help of my extraordinary team, collaborative colleagues, and our trusting, faithful patients, we made a meaningful impact and helped to reshape how the world sees prostate cancer. Today, men are far more aware of their health and of their -in-8 lifetime risk of prostate cancer in the United States. They are better educated about their options and the realities of this disease.

We have made tremendous strides in clinical care, advancing surgical outcomes through robotic surgery and improving postoperative rehabilitation. Yet, in stark contrast to these clinical achievements, we have witnessed a national decline in PSA prostate cancer screening, largely driven by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force decision to remove PSA testing from baseline screening for men. Eliminating screening for the second leading cause of cancer death in men has had profound consequences. We now see delayed diagnoses, higher-grade disease, increased metastatic cancer, and rising mortality. Our clinical triumphs have collided with realities of today’s healthcare landscape and regulatory mandates. We know without question that prostate cancer screening saves lives.

Despite these challenges, our team has vowed to continue the fight. We remain committed to educating men and their families, training physicians around the world, and delivering exceptional care for men with prostate cancer. Our team has traveled globally and operated in more than 42 countries and on all continents except for Antarctica. After more than 20,000 robotic radical prostatectomies, our program set the gold standard for others to follow. The sheer magnitude of the 20K always makes me pause, reflect and appreciate the trust that all these men and their families have placed in our team. It is a heavy burden, but we carry it with the upmost pride and appreciation. 

We have shared the highs and lows of this disease alongside our patients and their families. And we will continue our mission, believing that even small advances can create a lasting impact in protecting the health of men.

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