Outline

Overview

What does it mean when someone tells you: you have cancer? Initially you're probably consumed with questions like: how did this happen? and will this cancer kill me? In this unit, we will explore all aspects of the cancer problem from the underlying biomedical and environmental causes, through to emerging approaches to cancer diagnosis and treatment. You will integrate medical science knowledge from a diverse range of disciplines and apply this to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer both at the individual and community level. Together we will explore the epidemiology, aetiology and pathophysiology of cancer. You will be able to define problems and formulate solutions related to the study, prevention and treatment of cancer with consideration throughout for the economic, social and psychological costs of a disease that affects billions. Face-to-face and online learning activities will allow you to work effectively in individual and collaborative contexts. You will acquire advanced skills to interpret and communicate observations and experimental findings related to the cancer problem to diverse audiences. Upon completion, you will have developed the foundations that will allow you to follow a career in cancer research, clinical and diagnostic cancer services and/or the corporate system that supports the health care system. This advanced version of Cancer has the same overall concepts as the mainstream unit but material is discussed in a manner that offers a greater level of challenge and academic rigour. Students enrolled in the advanced stream will participate in alternative components which may for example include guest appearances from leading cancer experts. The nature of these components may vary from year to year.

Details

Academic unit
Unit code	AMED3901
Unit name	Cancer (Advanced)
Session, year ?	Semester 1, 2020
Attendance mode	Normal day
Location	Westmead, Sydney
Credit points	6

Enrolment rules

Prohibitions ?	AMED3001
Prerequisites ?	A mark of 70 or above in [12cp from (IMMU2101 or MEDS2004 or MIMI2002 or MIMI2902 or PHSI2005 or PHSI2905 or PHSI2006 or PHSI2906 or PHSI2007 or PHSI2907 or MEDS2001 or PCOL2011 or PCOL2021 or MEDS2002 or BCMB2001 or BCMB2901 or MEDS2003)] or a mark of 70 or above in [BMED2401 and 6cp from (BMED2402 or BMED2403 or BMED2404 or BMED2405 or BMED2406)]
Corequisites ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff and contact details

Coordinator	Geraldine O'Neill, geraldine.oneill@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Analysing data and communicating like a professional Journal article title and abstract	10%	Week 07	1 page
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Multimedia communication Multimedia with accompanying description	15%	Week 09	Short video + 2 page accompanying text
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Cancer Case Study Preparation and submission of a poster	15%	Week 11	Preparation and submission of a poster
Outcomes assessed:
Tutorial quiz	In-class quiz Multiple choice questions covering lecture material from Module 4	20%	Week 13	1 hour
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Writing your own research proposal Research grant proposal	30%	Week 14 (STUVAC)	5 pages
Outcomes assessed:
Small continuous assessment	Workshops and practicals Range of quizzes, pre-class and post-class activities	10%	Weekly	weekly
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Analysing data and communicating like a professional. Students will be provided with a journal article with the title and abstract redacted and will be required to write a title and abstract for the article in their own words.
Multimedia communication. Students will create a 90 second video addressing a particular aspect of cancer for a defined audience. The video will be supported by an accompanying document detailing the scholarly sources used as evidence for the video.
Cancer Case Study. Students will workonline in a group preparing the answers to the cancer case studies and creating a poster describing their findings.
In-class quiz. A multiple choice quiz covering the lecture material in Module 4.
Writing your own research project. Small groups of students will work with an academic lead to identify a research question. They will research the question and propose an experimental approach to answering the research question. This will then be written in the format of research grant proposal.
Workshops and practicals. Throughout the semester there are a number of pre-class and post-class activities. Each activity completed (on time) will be awarded a mark of 1, to a total of 10 points. Relevant activities highlighted in pink on homepage table

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Mastery of topics showing extensive integration and ability to transfer knowledge to novel contexts; treatment of tasks shows an advanced synthesis of ideas; demonstration of initiative, complex understanding and analysis; work is very well presented; all criteria addressed and learning outcomes achieved to an outstanding level
Distinction	75 - 84	Excellent achievement, consistent evidence of deep understanding and application of knowledge in medical science; treatment of tasks shows advanced understanding of topics; demonstration of initiative, complex understanding and analysis; work is well-presented; all criteria addressed and learning outcomes achieved to a superior level
Credit	65 - 74	Confident in explaining medical science processes, with evidence of solid understanding and achievement; occasional lapses indicative of unresolved issues; treatment of tasks shows a good understanding of topic; work is well-presented with a minimum of errors; all criteria addressed and learning outcomes achieved to a high level
Pass	50 - 64	Satisfactory level of engagement with and understanding of topic; some inconsistencies in understanding and knowledge of medical science; work is adequately presented, with some errors or omissions, most criteria addressed and learning outcomes achieved to an adequate level
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Special consideration

If you experience short-term circumstances beyond your control, such as illness, injury or misadventure or if you have essential commitments which impact your preparation or performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Multiple weeks	Module 1: The patient journey	Online class (4 hr)
	Module 1: The patient journey	Workshop (6 hr)
	Module 2: Communicating about cancer to diverse audiences	Workshop (8 hr)
	Module 3: Tumour pathology	Online class (3 hr)
	Module 3: Tumour pathology	Workshop (4 hr)
	Module 3: Tumour pathology	Practical (6 hr)
	Module 4: Molecular basis of cancer	Online class (9.5 hr)
	Module 4: Molecular basis of cancer	Workshop (10 hr)
	Module 5: Project-based Learning	Online class (2 hr)
	Module 5: Project-based Learning	Project (10 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Laboratory equipment: You are required to bring a laboratory gown, closed-toe shoes and safety glasses for all the laboratory practicals.
Additional materials: You will need a wireless-enabled, fully charged, electronic BYO device that you can type on (e.g. laptop), that has word processing package (preferably Microsoft word) and a web browser. You must also bring a pen and paper to the workshops for off-line activities.
Attendance: The University of Sydney Coursework Policy 2014 states:
55 (2) A student enrolled in a unit of study must comply with the requirements set out in the faculty resolutions, award course resolutions or unit of study outline about undertaking the unit of study, including on matters
such as: (a) attendance at and participation in lectures, seminars and tutorials; and (b) participation in practical work.
The Faculty of Science resolutions states:
9(1). Students are expected to attend a minimum of 80% of timetabled activities for a unit of study, unless granted exemption by the Associate Dean. The Associate Dean may determine that a student has failed a unit of
study because of inadequate attendance. Students are advised that they are required to participate appropriately, in all classroom and examination tasks and group work involving all genders. The Faculty is unable to
exempt students from these tasks for legal reasons.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed on the Library eReserve link available on Canvas.

Weinberg (2013) The Biology of Cancer, 2 Garland Science.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University’s graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. identify, appraise, and debate major questions of fundamental and translational importance in cancer
LO2. examine the ways in which multiple cellular and molecular pathways act together to allow tumour cells to overcome the constraints of normal cellular physiology, evade immune destruction, and ultimately metastasise
LO3. investigate the ways in which you can therapeutically target various cells and molecules for the prevention and treatment of cancer
LO4. evaluate the tools used to tackle contemporary cancer research questions
LO5. apply analytical skills to evaluate evidence from multiple sources including experimental data sets, as well as that published in the scientific literature
LO6. evaluate the key public health measures that are known to reduce cancer risk, and design new approaches that could increase the success of these campaigns
LO7. examine the ethical and political issues related to equitable patient access to the next generation of cancer diagnostics and treatment options
LO8. demonstrate an ability to work effectively with colleagues from different areas of specialisation
LO9. formulate hypotheses and select translatable medical science approaches to improve cancer outcomes for patients, their families, and the wider community.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Closing the loop

This is the first time this unit has been offered.

Additional information

Students must bring their own electronic device. All course material and workshop activities are accessed via Canvas.

Science student portal

Work, health and safety

We are governed by the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 and Codes of Practice. Penalties for non-compliance have increased. Everyone has a responsibility for health and safety at work. The University’s Work Health and Safety policy explains the responsibilities and expectations of workers and others, and the procedures for managing WHS risks associated with University activities.

General Laboratory Safety Rules

No eating or drinking is allowed in any laboratory under any circumstances
A laboratory coat and closed-toe shoes are mandatory
Follow safety instructions in your manual and posted in laboratories
In case of fire, follow instructions posted outside the laboratory door
First aid kits, eye wash and fire extinguishers are located in or immediately outside each laboratory
As a precautionary measure, it is recommended that you have a current tetanus immunisation. This can be obtained from University Health Service: unihealth.usyd.edu.au/

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Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Details

Enrolment rules

Teaching staff and contact details

Assessment

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Special consideration

Academic integrity

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Closing the loop

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

AMED3901: Cancer (Advanced)

Overview

Details

Enrolment rules

Teaching staff and contact details

Assessment

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Special consideration

Academic integrity

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Closing the loop

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect