He is an exceptionally active student who has published in high-impact papers in the field of urology. The results of his research can help improving the therapy and the screening of prostate cancer. In June, Tamás Fazekas was named Student of the Month (Year 2-4) at the Centre for Translational Medicine.
Dr. Fazekas is a urologist at the Department of Urology, Semmelweis University, and a fourth-year Ph.D. student at CTM. He is scheduled to defend his thesis this October. “My main research topic within urologic oncology is prostate cancer, which is the most common malignancy in men. It affects one in eight men in their lifetime and often metastasizes by the time it is detected, worsening the outcome. For this reason, I believe it is important to improve the screening and treatment options for this disease. Since our clinic has a long tradition of oncology research, it was not difficult to find a relevant research topic. In addition to that, I had the opportunity to learn scientific methodology at CTM’s training, which was very useful for my work. It was also beneficial that I spent the third year of my Ph.D. training at the University of Vienna, where I had the opportunity to do research.”
Dr. Fazekas published a study in the prestigious scientific journal JAMA Oncology last year. Its results revealed that MRI-based prostate cancer screening is associated with a reduced number of unnecessary prostate biopsies and detection of clinically insignificant prostate cancer. Meanwhile, it maintains the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer compared with prostate-specific antigen-only strategies. These results have been integrated into prostate cancer screening guidelines in several countries. “It is exciting to achieve results that have an impact on everyday clinical practice. Think about it, I see 30 or 40 patients a day in the clinic and help their recovery, but I could have an impact on the lives of many more people through the results of this study. It is rewarding to do this kind of work, alongside clinical practice.”
Dr. Fazekas had other excellent achievements. For example, one of his projects was related to the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer, and his results have had an impact on the treatment of this disease. “I investigated the therapeutic sensitivity to standard treatments in BRCA-positive metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer patients, and my meta-analysis revealed which drugs could be the most effective in this disease. This finding has also had an impact on clinical practice, as it is cited in the guideline for this disease.”
After obtaining his Ph.D. degree, Dr. Fazekas would like to join CTM’s training as a supervisor. He considers it important to do academic work alongside his clinical work and to encourage others to do so too. In addition to work, he believes that recreational activities are important. He values spending time with his family and is interested in visual arts and music. He believes that he can draw a lot of inspiration from these areas and learn about different ways of thinking.
(Emese Szabó)