BM7046 - Cancer: Diagnosis and Therapy (2019/20)
| Module specification | Module approved to run in 2019/20 | ||||||||||||
| Module title | Cancer: Diagnosis and Therapy | ||||||||||||
| Module level | Masters (07) | ||||||||||||
| Credit rating for module | 20 | ||||||||||||
| School | School of Human Sciences | ||||||||||||
| Total study hours | 200 | ||||||||||||
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| Running in 2019/20(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change) |
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Module summary
This module provides an understanding of the clinical aspects of oncology, focusing on diagnosis and staging of different cancers, and the range of options open for therapy.
The aim of this module is to give a synopsis of the major cancers from the perspective of a diagnostician, thus providing a background to other modules on this course which focus on molecular and pharmacological aspects of the disease.
Syllabus
LO 1 - 4
• Cancer – an overview
• Staging and grading of malignancies
• Principles of cancer therapy (radiotherapy, surgery, chemotherapy, endocrine, biologic therapies)
• Biomarkers
• Cancers of the head and neck, lung, gastrointestinal tract, breast, reproductive organs, central nervous system, endocrine system, skin, blood; sarcomas.
Balance of independent study and scheduled teaching activity
Students will be guided in their learning using a combination of private study (132 hours), interactive lectures (22 hours) and small group tutorials exploring realistic problems/case studies (22 hours). Preparation for assignments (24 h) will enable students to reinforce and expand their knowledge base and develop subject skills and competences. They will be able to assess and reflect upon their understanding of the material through the completion on-line quizzes.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
1. demonstrate a critical awareness of the general principles of cancer diagnosis;
2. differentiate between available treatment options open to clinicians in patient case
studies;
3. develop and demonstrate a deep and systematic understanding of key cancers and
cancer therapies.
4. evaluate published relevant research material and put together a balanced review of a
selected topic; relating to cancer diagnosis and therapy using up-to-date primary
sources.
Assessment strategy
The module will be summatively assessed by the analysis of a case study (40%), and by an end of module test (60%) comprising short answer questions.
To pass the module students need to achieve a minimum aggregate mark of 50%.
Component Learning outcomes
Essay 4
Exam 1,2,3,4
Bibliography
Textbooks:
Core Text:
Hoskin,P., Ostler, P., Glynne-Jones,R. (2021). Clinical oncology: basic principles and practice. 5th ed. CRC.
Other Texts:
Perry, M.C. (2012). Perry's The Chemotherapy Source Book (5e). Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
Cassidy,J., Bissett,D., Spence,R. (2015). Oxford handbook of oncology. OUP.
Journals:
British Journal of Cancer
European Journal of Cancer
British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
Cancer Research
Cancer Therapy
Websites:
www.cancertherapyadvisor.com
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics-for-the-uk
Examples of review papers
• Tremont, A et al (2017). Endocrine Therapy for Early Breast Cancer: Updated Review. Ochsner J., 17(4), 405
• Nigro, C. et al. (2017). Head and neck cancer: improving outcomes with a multidisciplinary approach. Cancer Management and Research 2017:9 363–371
• Grover, N. and Park, S. (2015). Novel Targeted Agents in Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Therapy. Pharmaceuticals 2015, 8, 607-636.
• Shah, K et al. (2016). Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Ph+ Chronic Myeloid LeukemiaTherapy: A Review. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 17 (7), 3025-3033