04982 - Medical Oncology

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will have acquired the knowledge and learning skills necessary to recognize alterations in the genetic makeup and to identify individuals at increased risk of developing cancer. They will understand how the identification of at-risk individuals enables the implementation of tailored and intensive clinical surveillance programs aimed at the early detection of neoplastic disease, thereby improving disease control and clinical outcomes. Students will also acquire a general understanding of the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of the most common malignant diseases worldwide.

Course contents

Course Objectives

The Medical Oncology course is designed to provide students enrolled in the Biomedical Laboratory Techniques degree program with the fundamental principles of this increasingly important medical specialty. The risk of developing cancer results from the interaction between genetic susceptibility and environmental factors.

The main objectives of the course are to:

1. Provide students with the fundamental knowledge required to recognize genetic alterations involved in carcinogenesis and to identify individuals at increased risk of developing cancer. This knowledge supports the implementation of intensive, risk-adapted clinical surveillance programs aimed at the early detection of malignant disease, thereby improving therapeutic management and patient outcomes.
2. Provide an overview of the general principles of anticancer therapies, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, molecularly targeted therapies, and locoregional treatments.
3. Provide a general understanding of the epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of the most common malignancies in Western countries.

Course Content

• General principles of oncology
• Cancer prevention strategies
• Principles of cancer therapy
• Assessment of treatment response in oncology
• Breast cancer: epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment
• Lung cancer: epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment
• Colorectal cancer: epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment
• Gastric cancer: epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment
• Practical clinical examples of cancer diagnosis and assessment of therapeutic response

Readings/Bibliography

Recommended Reading

No specific textbooks are required.

Lecture notes and the teaching materials provided during the course constitute the primary study resources.

Teaching methods

Teaching Methods

The course consists entirely of face-to-face lectures delivered in an interactive format.

Teaching will be supported by PowerPoint presentations used during classroom lectures. Practical sessions will include the discussion of clinical imaging studies (CT, PET, and bone scintigraphy) illustrating primary tumors and metastatic disease.

Assessment methods

Assessment Methods

Learning outcomes will be assessed at the end of the integrated course through an examination designed to evaluate students’ knowledge and their ability to critically assess the topics covered during the course.

Specifically, the final examination aims to assess students’ understanding of the general principles of Medical Oncology as well as the diagnostic and therapeutic management of selected tumor types.

Students are required to register for the examination through the AlmaEsami online platform.

The assessment of learning outcomes and the determination of the final examination grade will take into account the weight assigned to the three courses that configure the integrated course. The examination will consist of a joint oral examination for General Pathology and Oncology (4 ECTS credits in total), given the close alignment of the topics covered, and a written examination for Medical Genetics (2 ECTS credits). For the latter course, students may also take an additional oral examination, subject to prior agreement with Prof. Kurelac. The final grade will be calculated as a weighted average of the marks obtained in the three courses, proportional to their respective contribution to the total of 6 ECTS credits.

The use of AI is not allowed during exams. Any use constitutes a violation of academic integrity.

Teaching tools

Teaching Materials

• PowerPoint lecture slides, made available to students after each class.
• Collections of radiological images (CT, PET, and bone scintigraphy) used to illustrate practical clinical cases.

Office hours

See the website of Giuseppe Lamberti