Course Structure

Course Content

1. Week one: Fundamentals of Cancer Biology and Classification

   • What is Cancer?

   • Basic Cell Biology of Cancer Development

   • Basics of Cell Biology and the Cell Cycle

   • Overview of the Cell Cycle and Its Regulation

   • How Uncontrolled Cell Cycle Leads to Cancer

   • Differences Between Normal Cells and Cancer Cells

   • Understanding cancer prevalence, incidence, and survival rates

   • Key trends in cancer statistics by type and region

   • Origin of Tumors from Normal Tissues

   • Tumors Originate from Various Specialized Cell Types

   • Major Types of Cancer

   • Classification of Tumors: Benign vs. Malignant

   • Histopathology and Architecture of Tumors

   • Epithelial Origin of Carcinomas

   • Carcinomas and Epithelial Tissue Structure

   • Other Tumor Types: Sarcomas, Hematopoietic, and Neuroectodermal Tumors

2. Week two: Cancer Incidence and Causes

   • Variability in Cancer Frequency Across Populations

   • Global Variability in Cancer Incidence

   • General Causes of Cancer

   • Cancer Risk and Lifestyle Factors

   • Historical Evidence of Cancer Associations

   • Discovery of Radiation Effects

   • Smoking and Cancer

   • Coal Tar and Skin Cancer

   • Viruses as Cancer Agents

   • The Role of Genetics in Cancer

   • Carcinogenesis and Mutagenesis

3. Week Three: Cancers seem to develop progressively

   • Normal Cells

   • Hyperplasia

   • Dysplasia

   • Carcinoma in Situ

   • Invasive Carcinoma

   • Cancer Requires Multiple Mutations

   • Single Mutation Initiation

   • Accumulation of Chromosomal Alterations

   • High Chromosomal Instability

   • Gene Mutations

   • Somatic Mutations

   • Germline Mutations

   • Two-Hit Hypothesis

   • Types of DNA damage and common causes

   • Mechanisms cells use to repair damaged DNA

4. Week four: 14 Hallmarks of Cancer

   • Sustaining Proliferative Signaling

   • Evading Growth Suppressors

   • Resisting Cell Death

   • Tumor-Promoting Inflammation

   • Enabling Replicative Immortality

   • Senescent Cells

   • Deregulating Cellular Metabolism

   • Avoiding Immune Destruction

   • Inducing or Accessing Vasculature

   • Activating Invasion & Metastasis

   • Unlocking Phenotypic Plasticity

   • Genome Instability & Mutation

   • Nonmutational Epigenetic Reprogramming

   • Polymorphic Microbiomes

5. Week five: Tumor Viruses and Genetic Factors in Cancer

   • The Role of Tumor Viruses in Cancer Research

   • Early Hypotheses on Tumor Viruses

   • Challenges to the Viral Theory of Cancer

   • The Retrovirus Hypothesis and Cancer

   • Human Cancer and Endogenous Retroviruses (ERVs)

   • Why the Tumor Virus Hypothesis Failed

   • Oncogenes: Drivers of Uncontrolled Growth

   • Tumor Suppressor Genes: The Guardians Against Cancer

6. Week six: The Process and Impact of Cancer Metastasis

   • What is Metastasis?

   • Primary Tumors vs. Metastases

   • The Danger of Metastasis

   • Local Invasion

   • Loss of Cell Adhesion

   • Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT)

   • Degradation of Extracellular Matrix

   • Intravasation

   • Circulatory Survival

   • Platelet Cloaking

   • Immune Evasion

   • Arrest at Distant Site

   • Extravasation

   • Survival in New Microenvironment

   • Dormancy or Micrometastasis Formation

   • Reactivation and Proliferation

   • Angiogenesis

   • Colonization and Organ-Specific Growth

7. Week Seven: Cancer Treatments and Their Drugs

   • Surgery & Radiation

     • - External Beam Radiation Therapy

   • Hormonal Therapy

     • Anti-Estrogen Agents (Breast Cancer)

     • Anti-Testosterone Agents (Prostate Cancer)

   • Chemotherapy

     • DNA Replication Inhibitors

     • Anti-Metabolites: 5-FU, Capecitabine, Gemcitabine

     • Topoisomerase Inhibitors: Etoposide, Irinotecan

     • DNA Intercalators: Cisplatin, Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin

   • Cell Division Inhibitors

     • Vinca Alkaloids: Vincristine, Vinorelbine

     • Taxanes: Paclitaxel, Docetaxel

   • Targeted Therapy

     • VEGF Inhibitors: Bevacizumab

     • EGFR Inhibitors: Tarceva

     • HER2 Inhibitors: Trastuzumab (Herceptin)

     • PARPi Inhibitors: Olaparib`

   • Immunotherapy

     • PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors: Nivolumab, Pembrolizumab

     • CTLA-4 Inhibitors: Ipilimumab (Yervoy)

Who Should Enroll?

• This course is open to anyone interested in cancer biology, especially:

• - Undergraduate and Graduate Students: Ideal for those studying biomedical sciences, biotechnology, or related fields.

• - Early Career Researchers: Suitable for researchers new to cancer biology or those transitioning into this field.

• - Enthusiastic Learners: Anyone with a passion for understanding the complexities of cancer at the cellular level.

• No prior experience in cancer research is required, though a basic understanding of Molecular Biology will be helpful!