This unit will examine multimodal cancer care through a series of clinical scenarios focusing on prevalent cancers; including breast, colorectal, prostate and gastroesophageal cancer and melanoma. For each of these cancers, the unit provides an overview of the important issues relevant to multidisciplinary management: pathological description and synoptic reporting, clinicopathological staging systems, the pathologic basis of disease, advances in molecular biology and imaging modalities. The treatment options of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, as well as biologic therapies including immunotherapy and targeted therapy will be explored. The role of palliation in advanced disease will also be considered. The subject is delivered online with a combination of lectures presented by specialist physicians and surgeons, and regular summative assessment with an emphasis on self-directed learning. Specific learning objectives: 1) to understand the role of each clinical specialty in the multidisciplinary decision-making process and apply this in addressing specific patient considerations in an evidence-based approach. 2) to demonstrate adequate knowledge of the natural history and classification of common tumors 3) to formulate a cancer-specific management plan based on clinicopatholgical tumour characteristics 4) to understand the influence of evidence based, independent prognostic factors for disease outcome and evolving concepts in cancer biology.
Unit details and rules
| Academic unit | Surgery |
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| Credit points | 6 |
| Prerequisites
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None |
| Corequisites
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None |
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Prohibitions
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None |
| Assumed knowledge
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Pathology knowledge equivalent to GSSE |
| Available to study abroad and exchange students | No |
Teaching staff
| Coordinator | Alexander Papachristos, alex.papachristos@sydney.edu.au |
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