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Unit of study_
AMED3901: Cancer (Advanced)
2025 unit information
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.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Medicine and Health
| Study level | Undergraduate |
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| Academic unit | Department of Medical Sciences |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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A WAM of 70 and a mark of 70 or above in [12 credit points 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)] |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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AMED3001 |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
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.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 1 2025
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Normal day | Westmead, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
