Paediatric Cancer
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| ONCG3006 | Cancer and Stem Cells | 3 | 20 | Spring UK |
- Code
- ONCG3006
- School
- Cancer and Stem Cells
- Level
- 3
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
This module considers:
• The spectrum of cancers that occur in childhood and how types of cancer and drivers are different to adult cancers. A key objective will be to understand that the consequences of treatment are lifelong for survivors.
• Current treatments and outcomes for a range of paediatric cancers.
• The principles behind chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery in childhood cancer.
• How improved understanding of the underlying biology is driving novel treatment strategies.
• An in-depth consideration of preclinical approaches to developing novel treatment strategies.
• Issues with translating findings in the laboratory to clinical trials and finally standard of care.
• The broader effects of paediatric cancer on families and independent living for survivors.
Target Students
Students studying Cancer Sciences BSc U6UCANCS (B131) and Cancer Sciences MSci U7UCANCSY (B130) and other students with the required pre-requisites including students studying Natural Sciences.
Co-requisites
Modules you must take in the same academic year, or have taken in a previous year, to enrol in this module:
Classes
- One 3-hour workshop
- One 2-hour tutorial
- One 1-hour tutorial
- One 3-hour practicum
- Two 1-hour lectures each week for 7 weeks
Assessment
- 100% Exam 1 (3-hour): Written examination with essay questions and short answer questions (3 hours)
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
To review the many differences between childhood and adult cancers building on knowledge gained in the first two years of the course. To develop awareness in the types of cancer that predominate in childhood and how small numbers of patients mean improvements in understanding and treatment are driven by a global community. To consider new treatment strategies and how these and ongoing/subsequent clinical trials need to be optimised to preserve quality of life.Learning Outcomes
1. Intellectual skills
Students should be able to demonstrate a good understanding of:
- The differences between paediatric and adult cancer
- The concept of paediatric cancer as a lifelong disease and how treatments are aimed at minimising damage
- How therapies have evolved based on our understanding of the underlying disease biology
2. Professional / practical skills
- Students should be able to validate a candidate gene using available patient data.
- Students should be able to sensitively consider the impact of cancer on a child and their family
3. Transferable / key skills
Students should be able to:
- Communicate complex written information to a non-specialist audience
- Communicate complex written information in the form of an essay
- Demonstrate self-management and teamworking in the completion of coursework
- Demonstrate problem solving skills and critical thinking as applied to relevant data
- Show basic levels of information technology literacy
Conveners
- Dr Elizabeth Coyle