Oncobiology and Cancer

Recommended Prerequisites

Basic knowledge in molecular and cellular biology.

Teaching Methods

Theorical and theorical/pratical classes (case-problem presentation and discussion), pratical-lab classes and seminar.

Learning Outcomes

Our main goal through this PhD course is to provide a good interdisciplinary training to help students in their research careers as scientists in the field of cancer and oncobiology, in particularly in cellular and molecular mechanims involved in cancer, in cancer management and therapeutic approaches and translational clinical oncology research.

Specific Objectives: Acquisition of  knowledge about (1) Cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in cancer (2) Screening, cancer prevention and diagnosis; (3) Conventional anticancer therapies and Paliative Care (4) Cancer drug pharmacology, (5) Biology of Drug Resistance and Response; (6) Hormonal Treatment of Cancer (7); New therapeutic approaches in Cancer (Targeted Therapies); (8) The role of clinical trials in drug development; (9) New approaches in monitoring cancer therapeutic response.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. Cellular and Molecular Biology of cancer

2. Environment, life style and carcinogenesis

3. Screening, individualized prevention and early cancer detection – the role of tumor markers

4. Cancer diagnostics – new approaches

5. Basic Principals of Cancer Therapy

     - Antineoplasic drugs – Classification and applications

     - Biology of Drug Resistance and Response – clinical applications

     - Radiotherapy – Applications and new approaches in Cancer

6. Personalized Targeted therapy

     - Epigenetics and cell signaling modulators

     - Photodynamic therapy

     - Nanotechnology in cancer management - Drug delivery and gene therapy

7. Cell Based Therapy in Oncology 

8. Hormonal Therapy of Cancer

9. Palliate care in Oncology

10. New approaches in Monitoring drug response

   - The role of pharmacogenomics and pharmacoepigenomics

   - Imaging on cancer therapy monitoring - new approaches

11. Translacional Oncology – Clinical aplications

12. Clinical trials in oncology.

Head Lecturer(s)

José Manuel Borges Nascimento Costa

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Laboratory work or Field work: 50.0%
Other: 50.0%

Bibliography

Cancer, Principles & Practice of Oncology – Vicent T. DeVita, Jr, Theodore S. Lawrence, Steven A. Rosenberg, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (8th Edition), Philidelphia, 2008

Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. John E. Niederhuber, James O. Armitage et al.. Elsevier Churchill Livingstone (5th Edition), Philadelphia, 2014.

Cancer Medicine. Waun Ki Hong, Robert C. Bast, et al., American Association for Cancer Research. BC DecKer, 2010.

Molecular Biology of Cancer: Mechanisms, Targets, and Therapeutics  - Lauren Pecorino, Oxford University press (2nd Edition), UK, 2008.

Targeted Therapies in Oncology. Ed Giaccone Giuseppe and Jean-Charles Soria, Informa healthcare, 2007.

Targeted Therapies in Cancer: Myth or Reality? Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 610. Ed Francesco Colotta and Alberto Mantovani, Springer 2010.

Targeted Cancer Therapy (Current Clinical Oncology) by Razelle Kurzrock and Maurie Markman, Humana press, 2009

Selected scientific articles