Geoffrey Sonn, MD, Author at Grand Rounds in Urology

Geoffrey Sonn, MD

Stanford University

Stanford, California

Geoffrey Sonn, MD, is an Associate Professor of Urology at Stanford University in California. Dr. Sonn’s research interests include cancer imaging, MRI-Ultrasound fusion targeted prostate biopsy, prostate cancer focal therapy, robotic surgery for prostate and kidney cancer, and developing artificial intelligence methods to improve prostate cancer detection on MRI and ultrasound. He was the Stanford principal investigator of a major clinical trial using MRI-guided focused ultrasound to treat prostate cancer.

Dr. Sonn earned his medical degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. He then completed a residency in Urology at Stanford University, where he developed clinical interests in urological cancers and cancer imaging. Dr. Sonn then completed a fellowship in Urologic Oncology at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he gained research interests in urologic malignancies.

Dr. Sonn continues to work to develop new methods to better diagnose and treat urologic cancers through research. He has published 72 articles and book chapters within his field, and has been featured in The Journal of Urology, Journal of Robotic Surgery, and the International Journal of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Sonn has received numerous awards and recognitions, including First Place in Prostate Cancer Detection & Screening Poster Session from the American Urological Association and Research Award for Fluorescent Image-Guided Surgery in Prostate Cancer from the Longmire Surgical Society.

Talks by Geoffrey Sonn, MD

Focal Therapy Patient Selection: Urologist Perspective

Geoffrey Sonn, MD | Jul 2025

Geoffrey Sonn, MD, provides a urologist’s perspective on patient selection for focal therapy for treating prostate cancer.

Patient Selection for Prostate Cancer Focal Therapy: Urologic Perspective

Geoffrey Sonn, MD | Jun 2024

Geoffrey Sonn, MD, discusses patient selection criteria for prostate cancer focal therapy from a urologic perspective.
Focal therapy aims to treat only the cancerous lesion while preserving surrounding healthy tissue. Candidates for focal therapy typically have localized prostate cancer confined to a specific area of the gland. Imaging techniques such as multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) play a pivotal role in accurately identifying and characterizing these lesions, guiding treatment planning, and ensuring precise targeting during therapy.
Patient selection also hinges on tumor biology and clinical factors. Dr. Sonn explains that biomarkers and genomic testing help assess the aggressiveness and molecular characteristics of the cancer, aiding in risk stratification and predicting the likelihood of disease progression.
Dr. Sonn underscores the importance of patient-centered care in the era of precision medicine. When considering focal therapy as an option, each patient’s preferences, overall health status, and potential impact of treatment on quality of life must be carefully weighed.