Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Clinical Oncology
Teaching staff
Students may ask lecturers questions at the end of each class. For enquiries outside of class time, students must make an appointment by email:
Dr. Jordi Remon, CIOCC-Barcelona – HM Nou Delfos (jremon@hmhospitales.com / jremon@uic.es)
Dr. Xavier González Farre: xgonzalez@uic.es
Maria Pilar Vicente: pvicente@uic.es
Judith Balmaña Gelpi: jbalmana@uic.es
Ana Alguersuari: ppuyalto@uic.es
Sara Cros: scros@fpah.org
Introduction
The subject Medical Oncology aims to acquire the theoretical knowledge and attitudes necessary for the diagnosis and management of oncological diseases.
There are 3'5 ECTS assigned, with the following distribution:
Master Class: 6pm
Case method: 14 h
ABP: 4 h
LH: 4h
A. Virtual: 2h
Pre-course requirements
Previous competence is recommended in subjects of previous courses such as:
- Cell biology
- Molecular biology
- Pathology
- Semiology and physiopathogeny
- Surgical Physiopathology
Objectives
The general educational objectives will be:
- To know how to recognize the presence of neoplastic diseases.
- To know the situations, in which the possibility of the disease must be ruled out.
- Acquire sufficient competence in obtaining an adequate anamnesis in oncological patients.
- To perform a basic physical examination of the parts of the body that may present findings that may be related to the disease: head and neck, lymph nodes, thorax, abdomen, breast, testicles, pelvis (with rectal, prostate and uterine examination), nervous system and osteomuscular.
- Know what to do and what not in cancer patients.
- Determine the simple explorations that can contribute to the diagnosis.
- Acquire basic knowledge about staging.
- To acquire basic knowledge about the relationship between pathological anatomy, disease status and prognosis.
- To know in which cases the treatment must be curative or palliative.
- Know the basic principles of treatment of neoplastic pain.
- Know how to establish communication with patients and their families.
- Acquire basic knowledge about psychosocial care.
- Know the techniques of screening and prevention.
- Know the basic pathophysiological principles of the disease
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- 09 - Understand and recognize the effects, mechanisms and manifestations of disease on the structure and function of the human body.
- 10 - To understand and recognise the agents and risk factors which determine health status, and learn how they determine the symptoms and natural development of acute or chronic diseases in individuals and populations.
- 12 - Understanding the foundations for action, the indications and efficacy of therapeutic interventions, based on available scientific evidence.
- 15 - Ability to formulate an initial diagnosis and establish a rationalised diagnostic strategy.
- 16 - Recognize and deal with situations that put life in immediate danger and those that require immediate attention.
- 17 - Establish the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment, applying principles based on the best information possible and safe clinical practice..
- 18 - To indicate the most appropriate (pharmacological, surgical, psychological, social or other) treatments that are pertinent to the most prevalent procedures, in terms of rehabilitation and also terminally ill patients, including an evaluation of their effectiveness.
- 19 - Propose preventive measures appropriate to each clinical situation.
- 27 - Recognize role in multidisciplinary teams, assuming leadership when appropriate, for the delivery of health care, such as interventions for health promotion.
- 31 - Understand, critically evaluate and know how to use sources of clinical and biomedical information to obtain, organize, interpret and communicate scientific and health care information.
- 35 - Understand the importance and limitations of scientific thinking in the study, prevention and treatment of disease.
Learning outcomes of the subject
Indicate and interpret the complementary tests for diagnosis and extension workout of the different tumors
Indicate the procedure for early detection and screening
Indicate the diagnosis procedures of the tumors in front of the symptoms and signs of alarm
Management of the most frequent symptoms of oncological disease
Knowledge of the mechanisms of oncogenesis and cancer progression
Knowledge of tumor extension and staging
Knowledgeof the available strategies for the treatment of the main tumors
Knowledge of the complications of treatment
Detection of emergency situations in oncological patients and immediate therapeutic orientation.
Syllabus
LECTURES
Topic 1. General concepts / Biological characteristics of tumors. Dr. Jordi Remon
• Concept of Medical Oncology
• Epidemiological considerations about the disease:
- Etiological factors
- Risk factors
• Conceptualization of neoplastic as a systemic disease
Memory of the cell cycle and its regulatory mechanisms:
• Dysregulation of the cell cycle in cancer
• Cell kinetics and tumor growth
• Contribution of the processes of angiogenesis
• Biology of metastases
• Factors that stimulate and limit tumor growth
• Mechanisms of the hormonal response
Topics 2 and 3. Fundamentals of cancer treatment. Dr. Jordi Remon
• General principles of treatment: surgery, systemic treatment and radiotherapy
• Drugs used in Oncology: Cytostatics, Hormone Therapy, Biological Therapies and Immunotherapy
Topic 4. Neoplasm of Unknown Origin.
• Diagnostic approach
• Tests to be performed
• Type of treatment
Topic 5: Lung Cancer Dr. Jordi Remon
• Non-small cell lung cancer
· Stratification
· Therapeutic indications
· Treatment of locally advanced disease
· Treatment of disseminated disease
• Small cell lung cancer
Topic 6. Digestive Tumors.
- Esophageal cancer
- Stomach cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Colon and rectal cancer
Topic 7. Gynecological tumors.
- Ovarian cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Uterine cancer
Topic 8. Head and neck tumors.
Topic 9: Genetic counseling and hereditary cancer. Dra. Judith Balmaña
Topic 10. Urological tumors
- Testicular cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
Topic 11. Breast cancer. Dr. Xavier Gonzàlez
- Adjuvant and neoadjuvant
- Disseminated disease
Topic 12: Melanoma. Dr. Xavier Gonzàlez
CASE METHODS
Case Method 1: Clinical Trial as a Therapeutic and Advancement Tool in Oncology. Evaluation of response to different treatments. Dr. Jordi Remon
Case method 2: Oncology emergencies
Case Method 3: Paraneoplastic syndromes and brain tumors. Dr. Xavier Gonzàlez
Case Method 4: Diagnostic Imaging in Oncology. RECIST criteria Dra. Paloma Puyalto
Case Method 5: Diagnostic Imaging in Oncology: practical application, screening techniques: CT, mammography. Dra. Paloma Puyalto
Case method 6: Decision making in oncology. Dr. Jordi Remon
Case Method 7: Genetic Counseling in Oncology. Dra. Judith Balmaña
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING
ABP.- Case of lung cancer. Dr. Jordi Remon
ABP.- Case of colon cancer.
SKILLS LABORATORY
A two-hour seminar will be held on "The development of diagnostic guidelines for the semiology of suspicion." It will be developed in 5 groups of 25 students each group.
Objectives:
• Recognize through physical examination the existence of major tumors and their complications, oriented to their natural history
• Decide which physical examinations, laboratory tests, and imaging tests are necessary to rule out or confirm the diagnostic suspicion.
• Establish the gradation of tests to be performed depending on their positive or negative result.
• Consider the discomfort and risks that each diagnostic test may produce to patients.
• Learn to obtain informed consent from those tests that require it.
• Learn to properly inform the patient and family
Abilities:
• Learn the physical examination of a Breast Neoplasm
• Learn the physical examination of a Prostate Neoplasm
• Learn to properly inform the patient and family
• Role-Playing on the information process
Evaluation
• Attendance is MANDATORY
The practical contents will constitute 5% of the final mark.
Virtual teaching
• Interesting article on one of the most common tumors (breast, lung, colorectal and prostate) and will be assessed in the form of questions in the final exam
Teaching and learning activities
In person
CM: The master class is the setting in which a teacher transmits the knowledge in a classroom to the whole group of students of the course. The classes are two hours long in which two subjects will be developed.
MC: The general objectives of the case method is to put to students, distributed in two groups, situations of great importance in clinical oncology and allow them to analyze deeply and reflectively the case presented.
ABP: The general objectives of these activities are to ask students, divided into two groups, two clinical cases that students will have to study and find a solution. Subsequently, the teacher will guide you in the behavior patterns in the face of this situation.
LH: The skills lab is carried out in small groups and is an area in which the student can basically develop communication and physical exploration skills based on manikin, robots and also simulated and real patients. It is also an area for the most practical knowledge of complementary explorations and / or therapeutic measures.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
Participation in the Skills laboratory: Practical contents will constitute 5% of the final grade.
Exam: Multiple choice MIR type with 5 answers to each question, in which errors deduct -20% of the value of the question.
A partial exam (15% of the total value) will be carried out and a final exam including all the blocks (80% of the total value).
Final grade: Weighted sum of Partial Exam (15%) + Final Exam (80%) + Evaluation of LH (5%)
Bibliography and resources
- Farreras-Rozman : Medicina Interna. Capitulos correspondientes a oncologia.
- Harrison. Principios de Medicina Interna. Capitulos correspondientes a oncologia
- Provencio M. Oncologia para estudiantes de Medicina. Ediciones Aran. Madrid 2012
- Guidelines SEOM, ESMO, ASCO, NCCN
Evaluation period
- E1 29/05/2023 19:00h