Download AS-2172-045/GE - Cal Poly Pomona

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Academic Senate Report
AS-2172-045/GE
BIO 302, BIOLOGY OF CANCER
Academic Senate Action:
Adopted: 4/13/05
Final Disposition:
Transmitted to President: 4/20/05
AS-2172-045/GE, BIO 302, BIOLOGY OF CANCER
Recommendation:
The Academic Senate has found this course to be in compliance with the synthesis
course guidelines for GE sub-area B4. There were no comments on the
Undergraduate Studies website.
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AS-2172-045/GE, BIO 302, BIOLOGY OF CANCER
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PROPOSED GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM CHANGES
Prepared By: Dr. Len Troncale January 26, 2004; Revised 02/02/05
CURRICULAR PROPOSAL: Add BIO 302, Biology of Cancer, 4 units as a GE Category Area B4,
Science and Technology Synthesis Course.
I.
Catalog Description
Title: Bio 302 – Biology of Cancer (4)
Topics include causes and early symptoms of cancer, cancer prevention, cell and molecular biology of
cancer, breast, lung, skin, colon, and other major cancer types, major cancer therapies, and the socialpsychological, nutritional, and statistical aspects of cancer. Includes guest lectures.
Two 2-hour Lecture-Discussions. Open to all Majors. May be used for GE Synthesis in
Area B. May be used for approved elective credit but not upper division core credit by
majors in the Biology Department. Prerequisites: Bio 110 or Bio 115/115L, or
121/121L.
II. Required Background or Experience
Completion of GE Area A, Sub-areas 1, 2, and 3, and Area B, Sections 1, 2, and 3.
III. A. Justification-Rationale for GE Synthesis in Area B.
Health and Diseases: This course focuses on the disease that is one of the major killers of humans
today. Health and Disease is one of the specifically named categories of topic passed by the Faculty
Senate as exemplary topics to be included in the listing of B4 courses to fulfill B4 objectives.
Medical Technology and Its Ethical Implications: This course includes explanations of many of the
most modern instruments in medicine and the pro’s and con’s of their use in various cancers.
Discussion often includes the prognosis, side effects, and social impacts of each instrument or protocol
on patients. Many of our students will someday themselves face (or have relatives who are currently
facing) use of such instruments, medications, and difficult ethical judgments about their use and
efficacy.
Use of Area B Foundational Knowledge: Physics is represented in the course by its coverage of
ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, the physics of radioactive elements, basic explanations of protonbeam, MRI, CAT scan and other medical instruments. Physics is also involved in explanation of the
stereo models of key cancer protein products of oncogenes such as the stereochemistry of p53.
Chemistry is represented by the coverage of chemical changes in organic compounds from nutrients to
carcinogens and mutagens, chemical interaction of mutagens with DNA, interactions of various
oxidizing ions and anti-oxidants with cell metabolism, and the numerous drugs, reagents, and
pharmaceuticals used as treatments and palliatives throughout the course. Mathematics is represented
by the citation and interpretation of numerous statistical measures on incidences, epidemiology,
cohorts of humans, behaviors, prognoses, and as one use of the scientific method to determine best
treatments. Statistics is not just cited; it is critically evaluated even to the extent of using new metastatistical tools. Medicine is an exemplary user of statistics and mathematics.
How Area B Knowledge is Integrated: All of the above B area topics are integrated by uniform focus
on a single topic, that is, their uses and findings for understanding the causes of cancer and how it may
be treated to increase human lifespan and quality of life.
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Impact of Science on Human Civilization and Values: Cancer has many social, psychological and
economic impacts on the society and the individual that are cited by various speakers. Health care is a
major political and social issue because it affects every individual at some point in their lives.
Use of Scientific Method: A medical expert from the appropriate medical specialty presents each
specific cancer covered. Each presentation cites results on that cancer type obtained from long-term
studies using the scientific method and double blind experiments.
Application of Basic Knowledge to Applied Practice: Few scientific courses are as applied as this
one. Basic research and applied research are combined into best practices for effective prevention,
diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of a wide range of cancers. About one in three people living today
will contract some type of cancer during their lifetime. So study of cancer is both applied and relevant.
Practicing Analytical and Evaluative Thinking: This course hits home with the students. It presents
them with numerous alternatives of behavior, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. They must decide
which alternatives to use for themselves and for their family.
III. B. Expected Outcomes
Students will be able to identify, describe, and use each of the following topics of technical and
practical information related to cancer. Emphasis is on practical information that might cause students
to be aware of possible symptoms, and consider lifestyle changes that might reduce their risks of
contracting cancer.
1.
Biological processes associated with clinical description of cancers such as
transformation, carcinogenesis, angiogenesis, metastasis, benign versus malignant,
levels and staging of cancers, distinction between sarcoma, carcinoma, leukemia,
lymphoma, neoplasms, naming cancers.
2.
Cellular basis for cancers including differences between normal and abnormal development,
distinctions between hyperplasia, dysplasia, and hypertrophy; relation to normal and abnormal cell
divisions and chromosome numbers.
3.
Molecular basis for cancers including promoters, oncogenes, proto-oncogenes, role of cell
cycle control molecules, and apoptosis.
4.
Genetic basis for cancers with descriptions of mutation, mutagens, carcinogens, viral effects,
transfection, clones, and including effects of inherited genes and studies of family pedigrees.
5.
General statistics for cancer as a disease in the human population; includes ethnic and
socioeconomic influences and relations to aging.
6.
Cancer Diagnosis including description of the levels and stages of cancer and common
descriptors such as the TNM system.
7.
Cancer Prevention including effects of lifestyle, diet, behaviors, smoking, etc.
8.
Cancer Treatment modalities including the mechanisms for and effects of surgery, radiation
therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy; recent advances in gene therapy are also included.
9.
Lung Cancer, its prevention, early signs, clinical symptoms, relevant population statistics,
diagnosis and diagnostic tests, types and stages, alternative treatments, and prognosis.
10.
Breast Cancer, its prevention, early signs, clinical symptoms, relevant population statistics,
diagnosis and diagnostic tests, types and stages, alternative treatments, and prognosis.
11.
Colon Cancer, its prevention, early signs, clinical symptoms, relevant population statistics,
diagnosis and diagnostic tests, types and stages, alternative treatments, and prognosis.
12.
Prostate Cancer, its prevention, early signs, clinical symptoms, relevant population statistics,
diagnosis and diagnostic tests, types and stages, alternative treatments, and prognosis.
13.
Cervical-Uterine Cancer, its prevention, early signs, clinical symptoms, relevant population
statistics, diagnosis and diagnostic tests, types and stages, alternative treatments, and prognosis.
14.
Gastrointestinal cancers, its prevention, early signs, clinical symptoms, relevant population
statistics, diagnosis and diagnostic tests, types and stages, alternative treatments, and prognosis.
AS-2172-045/GE, BIO 302, BIOLOGY OF CANCER
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15.
Pediatric Cancers, its prevention, early signs, clinical symptoms, relevant population statistics,
diagnosis and diagnostic tests, types and stages, alternative treatments, and prognosis.
16.
Socio-economic effects of cancer
17.
Psycho-social effects of cancer on the individual, family, and community.
18.
Nutritional aspects of cancer
IV. Text and Readings
Murphy, et. al. (1995) American Cancer Society Textbook of Clinical Oncology. ACS Publishers,
Atlanta, Ga., 766 pages.
The first cited text was originally written for these types of college courses. But now its audience is
more the general physician interested in cancer and it has become too technical for our non-science
students. Recently many more popular texts have been published on this topic. We still prefer the
detail in the one listed here that was commissioned by the ACS. However, lately the text has had an
irregular publication record and we may choose from the new texts. The coordinator for this course, Dr.
Troncale, has reviewed two texts currently in production for their publishers, and has been asked to
review a third.
King, R.J.B. (1996) Cancer Biology. Addison-Wesley, England. 227 pages.
Oppenheimer, S.B. (1985) Cancer: A Biological and Clinical Introduction. Current edition. Jones and
Bartlett, 262 pages.
Cooper, G.M. (1992) Elements of Human Cancer. Jones and Bartlett, Boston, 354 pages.
V. Minimum Student Material
One paperback text. Notebook. Diary.
VI. Minimum College Facilities
Traditionally, this course has been offered in a production studio provided by the Information
Technology Division so that the presentations of the CPP and guest speakers from the medical
community can be videotaped. These presentations are recorded live with the student audience in the
studio and overflow in the Academic Senate chamber. Provision is made for students to ask questions
via microphones linked to the studio. These events occur on Monday and Wednesday evenings (the
only time medical guest speakers are available). An additional session is offered via videotape the next
mornings (Tu and Th) so that the maximum number of students can be reached with important cancer
knowledge. Given sufficient advance notice, this arrangement of facilities has not been a problem in
the past decade. Reaching the maximum number of students was the expressed goal of the American
Cancer Society which originally initiated and funded the course on campus.
VII. Course Outline (see attached pages)
Because the Biology of Cancer is a lecture series with invited lectures, the course outline
(Appendix A) changes with the selection of topics for each quarter. Please see
Appendix B for an example of typical outlines for one of the basic and one of the
applied presentations. More outlines and videotapes of past lectures are available if
needed.
VIII. Instructional Methods
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The Biology of Cancer is a collection of invited lectures by Cal Poly Pomona Biology
Professors and (usually) 10 to 15 medical professionals from regional medical
research laboratories, medical schools, hospitals, and from local medical practice.
Please see Appendix A for an example of a typical quarter’s schedule of topics and
speakers. Our guest lecturers are all practicing research or clinical medical
professionals. Presentations are usually Power Point with extensive use of statistics
and graphics. Illustrations of patients and actual medical cases are often included.
Writing Component: The significant writing component consists of a required term paper due at the
end of the quarter of study. The paper must be a synthesis of three or more professional articles on
cancer that are approved ahead of time by the instructor for appropriateness. Accurate citation of the
articles used is required. The first purpose of the written paper is to give the student a sense of the
vast primary literature of experiments using the scientific method that had to be integrated to get the
knowledge base delivered in the course. Its second purpose is to practice student skills in conducting
library literature searches. A third purpose is to practice general student skills in writing. A fourth
purpose is to practice skills at critical and analytical thinking, and interpretation as well as the much
more neglected skill of integration (which is the primary purpose of B4 courses). All of these skills,
used together, are necessary to successfully complete the term paper. This requirement is not a new
requirement for the course. It has been a requirement for this course for most of the twenty-five years
of its existence. Diary entries are encouraged due to the personal nature of the impact of cancer on
many student lives and the lives of their family. In some rare cases, diary excerpts may be shared with
the class as examples of how real people struggle with the challenges of this disease.
IX. Evaluation of Outcomes
Grading Student Performance: Students will earn circa 500 points over the quarter from a
combination of testing and special assignment modalities.






Midterm One (objective and essay)
Midterm Two (objective and essay)
Final (objective and essay)
Diary (weekly entries, 10 points each x 10)
Synthesis of Literature Paper (as cited above, 70 points)
Total quarter points =
100
100
150
100
70
520
Assessment of Course Learning Outcomes: An assessment instrument modeled after those used
for the 105-question Integrated Science General Education (ISGE) program will be created. The
questions will follow directly from the 20 learning objectives cited in section IIIB on Expected Outcomes
and on student reaction to the Instructional Methods utilized to deliver the course. Student judgement
of the effectiveness of each method and their success in meeting each outcome will be recorded on a
7-point Likert scale (where 1 is best) as follows.
I feel I achieved considerable new knowledge of the “xxxxxxxxxxxxxx” topic in this course…..
1
2
3
4
5
strongest
agreement
stronger
agreement
agree
a bit
neutral disagree
a bit
6
7
stronger strongest
|---disagreement---|
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The instructional method of (guest lecturers /or/ provided note outlines /or/ keeping a diary, etc) in this
course helped me learn the material [phrase] than a conventional course.
very
much
much
better
better
than
same
as
worse
than
much
worse
very
much
better
than
than
worse
We use the 7-point Likert scale because the student is provided with the normal set of three levels of
superlative typical of natural languages on either side of neutral. We believe this yields better results
than other scales. The statement’s on methods experienced by the student are being compared to
methods of other college courses. We also use the mode score as the best measure of central
tendency, as the mean is not a real arithmetic mean in cases such as this where the ordinal numbers
are being used as feelings or judgement, not newtonian measures of quantity. This practice is more
typical of the natural than the social sciences. Each question will have a small space for text comments
if the student desires to submit such a comment. We will also video record sample focus group
interviews to evaluate and normalize the assessment instrument designed, and provide opportunity for
additional commentary and probing analysis. We will use this experience as practice in oral
communication.