I. ASCRC General Education Form
Group
Natural Sciences
Dept/Program
BMED
Course Title
Prerequisite
Course #
U BMED 145N
Introduction to Cancer Biology
None
Credits
3
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office
Please type / print name Signature
Date
Mark Pershouse
X4769/
mark.pershouse@umontana
.edu
Program Chair
Richard Bridges
Dean
Dave Forbes
III. Description and purpose of the course: General Education courses must be introductory
and foundational. They must emphasize breadth, context, and connectedness; and relate course
content to students’ future lives: See Preamble:
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/gened/GEPreamble_final.htm
Instructor
Phone / Email
This course systematically develops a sound foundation for students to understand the
mechanisms, nomenclature, history, treatment options, and types of data associated
with cancer biology. Basic principles of normal and aberrant cell growth will be
discussed. Common elements of cancer causing agents will be discussed. Modern
treatment protocols will be addressed. After completing this course, students will be
expected to understand basic concepts of genetics, control of cell and tissue growth,
and mechanisms of tumor formation.
IV. Criteria: Briefly explain how this course meets the criteria for the group. See:
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/ASCRCx/Adocuments/GE_Criteria5-1-08.htm
Criteria
1. Courses explore a discipline in the
natural sciences and demonstrate how the
scientific method is used within the
discipline to draw scientific conclusions.
1. This course explores the discipline of
cellular growth control, one of the most
important concepts within the natural
sciences. Cellular growth control is a key
factor in normal embryonic development,
wound healing, aging, homeostasis, and
cancer formation. The scientific method is
explored through numerous examples (e.g.
correlation of pathological grading criteria
with patient outcomes) and historical events.
For example, our understanding of how
cancer arises has evolved through constant
revision of hypotheses, as technology,
medical advances have arisen to provide new
data.
2. Courses address the concept of
analytic uncertainty and the rigorous
process required to take an idea to a
hypothesis and then to a validated scientific
theory.
2. This course addresses the concept of
analytical uncertainty and a rigorous
scientific process through lectures that
address the historical progression and
advances from Medieval Medicine to
modern therapeutic modalities. One example
is our study of the first report of an
occupationally related cancer, scrotal cancer
in chimney sweeps in the 1800’s, to a
modern understanding of the actual
chemical, benzo-a-pyrene, in soot, that
causes the cancer and the mechanism by
which it causes cancer.
3. Lab courses engage students in
inquiry-based learning activities where they
formulate a hypothesis, design an
experiment to test the hypothesis, and
collect, interpret, and present the data to
support their conclusions.
3. This course does not have a lab
component yet, but centers on laboratory
investigations from history that have
advanced our knowledge of cancer biology.
The students will be challenged in a didactic
lecture setting to “think ahead” to formulate
the next set of logical experiments and
hypotheses.
V. Student Learning Goals: Briefly explain how this course will meet the applicable learning
goals. See: http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/ASCRCx/Adocuments/GE_Criteria5-1-08.htm
Learning Goals
Upon completion of this perspective, a
student will be able to:
1. understand the general principles
associated with the discipline(s) studied;
1. This course will meet the learning goals
of understanding the general principles
associated with cancer biology by
challenging the students to review historical
data, technological advances, seminal
concepts in how a cell become a cancer cell,
and how we target that cancer cell for
destruction.
2. understand the methodology and
activities scientists use to gather, validate
and interpret data related to natural
processes;
2. This course will meet the learning goal of
understanding the methodology and
activities scientists use to gather, validate
and interpret data related to natural
processes. We will discuss the progression
of our understanding of cancer as new
technological innovations such as autopsies,
microscopy, and modern genetics led a
better understanding of the natural processes
involved in tumor formation.
3. detect patterns, draw conclusions,
develop conjectures and hypotheses, and
test them by appropriate means and
experiments;
4. understand how scientific laws and
theories are verified by quantitative
measurement, scientific observation, and
logical/critical reasoning; and
5. understand the means by which
analytic uncertainty is quantified and
expressed in the natural sciences.
3. The course will instruct students in
methods for pattern recognition, data
analysis, hypothesis development, and
testing by use of historical examples, current
testing paradigms, and study of the seminal
experiments that lead to cancer biology
advances.
4. This course will aid the students in a
better understanding of scientific laws and
theories through a similar mechanism.
Quantitative measurement, logical/ critical
reasoning will be explored as they apply to
definitively answering the questions posed
in a hypothesis.
5. The class will distinguish descriptive
results and quantitative results in science.
Intro to Cancer Biology will help the
students understand analytic uncertainty
through units on epidemiology, predictions
of the number of mutations necessary to
create a malignant cancer cell by Foulds, et
al., and other example in the resource
materials that address statistical predictions.
VII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form. ⇓ The syllabus
should clearly describe how the above criteria are satisfied. For assistance on syllabus
preparation see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html
Cancer Biology BMED 145N
3 credits
Summer 2009
Syllabus Coordinator:
Mark Pershouse
Room
SB 281
Phone
4769
Additional Instructors:
Elizabeth Putnam
Howard Beall
Curtis Noonan
SB 280
SB 159
SB 173D
4794
5112
4957
Patrick Beatty
Kathy Markette
Montana Cancer Center
Montana Cancer Center
Recommended Texts: Principles of Cancer Biology: Lewis J. Kleinsmith author Pearson,
Benjamin Cummings Publishers
Prerequisites: None
Purpose of Course: This course systematically develops a sound foundation for students to
understand the mechanisms, nomenclature, history, treatment options, and types of data
associated with cancer biology. Basic principles of normal and aberrant cell growth will be
discussed. Common elements of cancer causing agents will be discussed. Modern treatment
protocols will be addressed. After completing this course, students will be expected to
understand basic concepts of genetics, control of cell and tissue growth, and mechanisms of
tumor formation.
Description:
This course will provide an overview for undergraduate students interested in an introductory
course in cancer biology, treatment, and prevention. Lectures will be supplemented with
readings from the current literature.
Meeting Time: 1-3 pm
Assessment: Grades will be determined from a mid-term (40%), homework assignments
(10%) final exam (40%) and student participation (10%).
Instructor
Topic
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Pershouse
Noonan
Pershouse
Unit 4
Unit 5
Unit 6
Unit 7
Unit 8
Unit 9
Pershouse
Pershouse
Pershouse
Faculty
Pershouse
Pershouse
Unit 10
Unit 11
Unit 12
Unit 13
Putnam
Putnam
Beall
Beatty
Unit 14
Unit 15
Markette
Faculty
Introduction and History of Cancer Research
Cancer Epidemiology
Diet and Cancer/Prevention/DNA Damage and
Repair/Carcinogens
Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis
Cell Cycle/Tumor Kinetics
Pathology of Cancer
Midterm Exam
Tumor Suppressor Genes/ Oncogenes
Senescence Genes/Differentiation Genes/Apoptosis Genes
Affected in Neoplasia
Predisposition I/ Familial Cancer Syndromes
Predisposition II/ Non-familial Cancer Syndromes
Cancer Therapeutics 1 (Overview, Targets)
Cancer Therapeutics 2 (Chemotherapy, Bone Marrow
Transplants, Surgery)
Cancer Therapeutics 3 (Radiotherapy)
Final Exam
*Please note: As an instructor of a general education course, you will be expected to provide
sample assessment items and corresponding responses to the Assessment Advisory Committee.