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Biology 207
Biology of Cancer
Fall 2009
Instructor: Dr. Nancy J. Bachman
Office:
322 Science Bldg. I
Phone:
(607) 436-3061
email:
[email protected]
Office hours: MWF 12 noon-1 pm or by appointment
Lectures:
MWF 9-9:50 am Room 314 Science Bldg. I
Course materials:
 Kleinsmith, Lewis J. (2006) Principles of Cancer Biology. Required text.
 Bazell, Robert (1998) Her-2: The Making of Herceptin, a Revolutionary
Treatment for Breast Cancer. Random House, New York, NY. Optional text.
Available on reserve, Milne library.
 Additional assigned articles available on Angel
https://angel.oneonta.edu/default.asp
Course description:
Examination of the environmental causes of cancer, the underlying genetic and cellular
changes that lead to a cancer diagnosis, and new strategies for treatments. Prerequisite:
BIOL 100.
Course objectives: You will learn about:
1. the environmental and viral causes of cancer
2. the cellular changes that occur in cancer
3. key genes that promote or protect from cancer
4. the role of the immune system in fighting cancer
5. clinical trials of new therapies
6. progress in the diagnosis and treatment of common human cancers
You will develop your own opinion about:
1. whether environmental safeguards are sufficient to protect us from cancer
2. whether the health care industry serves the needs of cancer patients
3. whether promising new drugs should be made available to patients before clinical
testing is completed
4. when we should test for cancer susceptibility genes and what patients should be told
about their prospects
5. whether there should be widespread distribution of anti-cancer vaccines
Emergency Evacuation/Shelter-in-Place Procedures
In the event of an emergency evacuation (i.e., fire or other emergency), classes meeting in
this building are directed to reassemble at Chase Gymnasium so that all persons can be
accounted for. Complete details of the College’s emergency evacuation, shelter-in-place
and other emergency procedures can be found at http://www.oneonta.edu/security/.
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Course requirements:
Regular class attendance is important. Many topics build on previous information, so it is
important to get things first hand as much as possible. Also, we will try to use classroom
discussion to get at a number of issues and we will miss your input if you’re not there.
Assignments:
Exams: 3 exams @ 75 pts. each
In-class assignments
Paper and poster on a cancer topic
total
225 points
75 points
75 points
375 points
Overview of the assignments:
Exams will consist of multiple choice and short answer essay questions mostly over the
information presented. To prepare, know definitions of key terms used in the assigned
readings and how they apply to cancer. Practice exams will be posted on the course web
site. The exams will be given during 2 class sessions and during the scheduled final exam
period. Each will cover about one-third of the course material. The exams will be worth
75 points each. There is an optional cumulative final exam worth 75 points that can be
used to replace your lowest exam score. Make-up exams must be arranged prior to the
scheduled exam period; otherwise you must take the cumulative final exam.
In class assignments and homework. During the course of the term, there will be a few
short in-class workshops and assignments. You will receive points for each of these
workshops/assignments you complete up to a total of 75 points.
Paper and poster presentation on a cancer topic. You will receive handouts outlining
possible topics and with paper and poster presentation guidelines. You will be writing a
6-10 page paper on a cancer-related topic of your choice, preparing a poster, and
presenting during the class poster sessions. Papers are due Nov. 30; posters are due
Dec. 9.
Grade Levels: As % of total points
A = 93-100%
A- = 90-92%
B+ = 87-89%
B = 83-86%
B- = 80-82%
C+ = 77-79%
C = 73-76%
C- = 70-72%
D+ = 67-69%
D = 63-66%
D- = 60-62%
2
E = <60%
Tentative Course Schedule
Date
Day
Topic
Reading Assignment (A=Angel)
8/26
W
What is cancer?
Chap. 1
8/28
F
Normal Cells
INT=CellsAlive!
8/31
M
Cancer cells (106SciI)
Histology workshop (group 1)
9/2
W
Cancer cells
Chap. 2 pp. 18-28
9/4
F
Cancer cells (106SciI)
Histology workshop (group 2)
9/7
M
Cancer stem cells
9/9
W
Cell cycle
Chap. 2 pp. 29-36
9/11
F
Angiogenesis
Chap. 3 pp. 45-50
9/14
M
Metastasis
Chap. 3 pp. 50-55
9/16
W
Cancer Epidemiology
Chap. 4 pp. 61-78
9/18
F
Causes of Cancer
A=Carson
Rachael’s Daughters (in class video)
9/21
M
DNA/Chemical carcinogens
Chap. 5 pp. 81-93
9/23
W
Exam I
9/25
F
Chemical carcinogens
9/28
M
Fall Break I (no class)
9/30
W
Radiation and Cancer
Chap. 6
A=Proctor, Chap. 8
10/2
F
Viruses and Cancer
Chap. 7 pp. 120-129
10/5
M
Oncogenes
Chap. 7 pp. 129-138
10/7
W
Oncogenes
Chap. 9
10/9
F
Hereditary Cancers
Chap. 8 pp. 141-151
A=Weinberg
Chap. 5 pp. 93-101
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10/12 M
Carcinogenesis
Chap. 10 pp. 191-197
10/14 W
Cancer screening
Chap. 11 pp. 201-208
10/16 F
DNA testing workshop (group 1)
10/21 W
DNA testing (Rm3SciI)
or In the Family (video)
DNA testing (Rm3SciI)
or In the Family (video)
Cancer treatments
10/23 F
Immune therapies
Chap. 2 pp. 37-40
Chap. 11 pp. 218-224
INT-Biological Therapies
10/26 M
Cancer prevention
Chap. 12
10/28 W
Exam 2
10/30 F
Brain cancers
pp. 255-256 (Appendix A)
A= Lemonick
INT-Cancer Imaging
11/2
M
Colon cancer
p. 257
11/4
W
Lung cancer
p. 260
11/6
F
Skin cancer
pp. 264-265
11/9
M
Leukemia/Lymphoma
p. 258-259
p. 260-261
A=Landro or INT-Bone marrow transplants
11/11 W
Testicular cancer
p. 266; A=Armstrong
11/13 F
Prostate cancer
p. 263-264;INT-Prostate cancer markers
11/16 M
Cervical cancer
INT-CDC web site Gardasil®
11/18 W
Breast cancer
p. 256
INT-Breast cancer microarrays
11/20 F
Her-2
Bazell Chaps 1-4
11/23 M
Fall Break 2 (no class)
11/25 W
Fall Break 2 (no class)
10/19 M
DNA testing workshop (group 2)
Chap. 11 pp. 208-217
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11/27 F
Fall Break 2 (no class)
11/30 M
Her-2
Bazell Chaps. 5-8
12/2
W
Her-2
Bazell Chaps. 9-12
12/4
F
Cancer patients
Hospice care
A=Moyers or video
INT-Hospice and Palliative Care
12/7
M
Poster session I (Sci I lobby)
12/9
W
Poster session II (Sci I lobby)
12/16 W
Final Exam 8-10:30 am
Angel=Articles available through Angel course management software
1. Carson, R. L. (1962) Chap. 14 “One in every four”. From Silent Spring. Houghton Mifflin,
Boston, MA. pp. 219-214.
2. Proctor, R. N. (1995) Chap. 8 “Nuclear nemesis”. From Cancer Wars. Basic Books, New
York, NY. pp. 174-196.
3. Weinberg, R. A. (1996) Chap. 18 “A hundred years war: Retinoblastoma and tumor
suppressor genes”. From Racing to the Beginning of the Road. Harmony Books, New
York, NY. pp. 229-245.
4. Landro, L. (1998) Chap. 2 “Down to the marrow”. From Survivor. Simon and Schuster, New
York, NY pp. 37-55.
5. Lemonick, M. D. (1997) The tumor war. TIME 150, 46-53. Also available online: use
Infotrac Expanded Academic ASAP on Milne Library web site.
6. Armstrong, L. (2000) Chap. 1 "Before and after". From It's not about the bike: My journey
back to life. Berkley Books, New York, NY. pp.1-15.
7. Moyers, B. (1993) “Wounded healers”. From Healing and the Mind. Doubleday, New York,
NY.
INT=Internet (on-line) Readings/Homework
1. Cells alive interactive web site. http://www.cellsalive.com/toc_cellbio.htm Use to review
animal cell structure/function (cell models), mitosis, and to view cancer cells dividing.
2. Cancer stem cells video. http://www.cancer.med.umich.edu/research/stemcells_two.shtml
3. National Cancer Institute (NCI). Biological therapies: Using the immune system to treat
cancer. http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/7_2.htm
4. National Cancer Institute (NCI). Bone marrow transplants Q & As.
http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/7_41.htm
5. Prostate cancer markers. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/genetics/2005-10-27-prostategenes_x.htm
6. CDC web site on Gardasil®. http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/STDFact-HPV-vaccine-youngwomen.htm
7. Breast cancer microarray paper: Chang, J. C., Hilsenbeck, S. G. and Faqua, S. A. W. (2005)
The promise of microarrays in the management and treatment of breast cancer. Breast Cancer
Res. 7, 100-104. http://www.breast-cancer-research.com search by author’s name and title.
8. Hospice and Palliative Care by Mittal, M. and Flaherty, J. H.
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http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/articles/cancer/hpcare_6
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