Young Investigator
Dr. Eleni Efstathiou seeks to “turn off the gas” that fuels lethal prostate cancer

One of the most important PCF-backed breakthroughs in the war on prostate cancer was the recent discovery that some prostate cancer cells produce their own testosterone — the "gas" they need to grow. It had been widely believed for decades that the male hormone was delivered exclusively through the bloodstream — but we now know that was not the whole story.

Today, Dr. Eleni Efstathiou — an Assistant Professor in the Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas — is determined to put this new knowledge to good use and turn that gas off.

As a dedicated Young Investigator of the PCF, she received funding for clinical trials that block prostate cancer cells from producing testosterone. Denying tumors this fuel could be one of the most effective treatments yet for affected men.

An Even Bigger Dream
Dr. Efstathiou is hopeful this research will not only help defeat prostate cancer but contribute to the overall war against all types of cancer. She is driven by her desire to "put cancer out of business."

And she deeply appreciates her support from the PCF — which generous friends like you make possible. "Regardless of whether you're young or not, being funded by the PCF is a great honor," Dr Efstathiou says. "It increases my enthusiasm and dedication."