As both a clinician and researcher, Mass General radiation oncologist Jason Efstathiou, MD, DPhil, is harnessing new technologies to improve the outcomes of patients with prostate and other urologic cancers.
Dr. Efstathiou’s clinical research examines quality of life issues, including investigations of the adverse effects of hormone therapy for prostate cancer, improving radiation therapy for seminoma, and assessing long-term outcomes and late toxicities with bladder-sparing chemoradiation. He also looks at the comparative effectiveness of emerging technologies for the treatment of prostate cancer. He is the principal investigator of a randomized clinical trial that uses patient-reported outcomes to compare the efficacy of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to proton beam therapy. He leads an effort to develop the infrastructure for a National Radiation Oncology Registry by leveraging health information technologies and piloting this approach in prostate cancer.
While striving to relieve the suffering of patients, Dr. Efstathiou also strives to empower them. He creates web-based decision aids and support tools for patients and is evaluating the multidisciplinary approach to prostate cancer care.
On an international level, Dr. Efstathiou leads a global outreach initiative in Botswana to provide collaboration and assistance to the country’s oncology community and its patients.