FRS 002N - Sec. 001 - (2 units) - CRN 92984 - Day/Time TBA - Room TBA
Cancer in Animals and People
Instructor: Bruce Madewell, Department of Veterinary Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine
Description: This seminar will explore one of the most troubling and complex maladies-cancer. The aim is to explore the nature of cancer in both animals and human beings. Through readings and discussion, the student will gain an appreciation of the distribution of cancer in animal and human populations, risk factors for cancer, cancer biology and cancer preventive strategies. Students will scan newspaper and other media and bring findings from those explorations to the seminar for discussion. The purpose of this exercise is to alert the student to the impact of cancer on modern society through research findings, cancer detection or treatment strategies, the social burdens of the disease, and public policy initiatives. For classroom discussion, students will also critically read topical review articles and comment on the conclusions of those studies and the validity of the findings. A library exercise will provide students with an opportunity to realize the magnitude of the scientific literature devoted to cancer topics. The seminar will be most valuable for undergraduate students with career aspirations in health sciences.
Format: 1. Students are required to attend each seminar session and participate actively in class discussions. Guest speakers will be invited to some sessions to participate in discussions on some focused topic of interest—like cancer pharmaceuticals, radiation oncology, others.
2. Students will be given a syllabus at the start of the seminar, and additional hand-out material usually in the form of copies of publications, one week prior to the topical discussion. During the week preceding the seminar, the student will read the material, and be prepared to discuss the content of the readings at the seminar. Each student will be expected to actively participate in classroom discussion.
3. Each student will peruse newspapers, magazines or other media, and copy or record information regarding cancer that appears in articles, on television, radio or even on billboards along the highway. The student will make at least two observations during the week from the media, and bring record of those observations to the classroom for discussion. Those records will be turned in to the instructor each week. Use a word processor and generate a one-third to one-half page summary of your observation.
4. A list of topics for library research will also be handed out by the instructor and student assignments made from this topic list. The student will research that topic in the library or using medical databases. Using at least 5 sources of information, the student will assemble a summary of the results of their search in the form of a written report, 2-3 typewritten pages in length (double-spaced; size 12 font) using language for a lay (public) audience. The report will be submitted to the instructor from that topical assignment. These topics might include controversial issues like estrogen replacement therapy as a cause for cancer, genetic "screening" for cancer genes, cancer risk due to exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, new technologies for cervical or prostate cancer screening, and others.
5. Each student will give a 15-minute presentation of the results of his/her review to the other students in the classroom in informal discussion, and answer questions regarding the report. Grading: Grading will be based on classroom participation (1/3 grade) (students must attend 6 or more sessions to achieve a passing grade); the quality of the weekly recordings of cancer facts from the media (1/3 grade); and the oral presentation and written report (1/3 grade).
About the Instructor: Professor Madewell’s special interest is the study of cancer in animals. He is the author of nearly 200 articles on this subject. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Sacramento Unit of the American Cancer Society. He is currently the Chairman of the Board of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, that includes the specialty of veterinary medical oncology. He is co-editor of a new Blackwell Publishing journal titled Veterinary and Comparative Oncology.