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Unit of study_

SURG5041: Surgical Oncology: Principles and Practice

2024 unit information

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

Managing faculty or University school:

Medicine and Health

Study level Postgraduate
Academic unit Surgery
Credit points 6
Prerequisites:
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None
Corequisites:
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None
Prohibitions:
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None
Assumed knowledge:
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Pathology knowledge equivalent to GSSE

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

  • LO1. Understand "natural history" of disease
  • LO2. Evaluate the need for standardised reporting
  • LO3. Analyse the influence of independent prognostic factors
  • LO4. Understand the role and relationship of interactive clinical disciplines
  • LO5. Recognise the precise needs of individual patients
  • LO6. Construct cancer-specific management plans
  • LO7. Understand the role of patience advocate

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 ? 
Semester 1 2024
Online Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Semester 1 2020
Online Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Outline unavailable
Semester 2 Early 2020
Online Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 1 2021
Online Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 2 2021
Online Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 1 2022
Online Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 1 2023
Online Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

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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.