Medical oncology course provides students with the basic knowledge relative to neoplastic diseases both under the etio-pathogenetic and bio-molecular point of view and under the clinical point of view. In this latter context students will learn about the most recent achievements in the field of prevention, diagnosis and therapy of the major  tumors . A special enphasis  is devoted in treating the topics of greater interest to community physicians and general practioners, 

Knowledge and understanding

1)To become confident with the main clinical syndromes; to identify disease signs and symptoms to correctly diagnose tumor conditions ; to learn how to use appropriately imaging and lab techniques to diagnose, stage and classify tumors

2) to become confident with the major classification systems and with response criteria ; to become  able to intercept patient and care-givers’ needs;

3) to become confident with the principle bio-molecular techniques and to interpret the reports relative to their clinical applications in major tumors;

4) to become confident with modern therapeutic strategies and with the main therapeutic tools available to day.

Abilities

1)to collect patient history and in particular the information more useful for tumor diagnosis and patient management

2)to learn how to inform patients about their disease and to share with them the most appropriate therapeutic options

3)to achieve adequate skills to examin the patient  and to manage with the most appropriate imaging and lab examinations

4)to become sufficientely skilled  in diagnosticate neoplastic diseases and in decision making

Medical Oncology course includes  Oncology classes (=21 hours) and attendance of the clinical ward for students who choice to spend their professional training in Medical oncology.

During COVID 19 pandemia, lessons have been given via streaming either live or trhough video-registration. These modalities will be probably followed also during the academic year 2020/2021,unless national and/or regional guidelines will advice otherwise. Ward attendace will be probably reasumed  limiting attendance to small groups in respect of social distancing rules. However alternative modalities (ie case discussion via streaming) will be adopted wether activities in presence will be temporarily suspended by regional and/or national reccomendations..

Principles of diagnosis, staging,classification ; patient engagement;evaluation of tumor response and clinical benefit, simultaneous care models

Tumor prevention- Screening- Chemo-prevention

Cytotoxic chemotherapy- general principles: activity, efficacy, toxicity

Hormonal therapies- general principles: activity, efficacy, toxicity

New molecular targets- Biological therapies

Principles of immunotherapy

Multimodal therapies: adjuvant and neo-adjuvant therapies; palliative treatment of cancer

Remote effects of cancer

Diagnosis and tretament of colo-rectal cancer and of cancer of the upper GI

Diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer (melanoma)

Diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer

Diagnosis and treatment of  lung cancer

Diagnosis  and treatment of GU neoplasms (prostate, testis,kidney,urothelial tumors)

Diagnosis and treatment of  gynecological tumors

 Suggested text books

Bianco, DePlacido, Tortora & Conte

Core curriculum of Clinical Oncology 2/ed

Mc Graw Hill Education (Italy)

Harrison:  Principles of Internal medicine  

Ed CEA 2016-  chapters dedicated to neoplastic diseases

The whole set of slides concerning lessons   is available at the website Unige-Aula web

eaching material available on the Unige Aula web site

Attendance is highly recommended, given the complexity of the topics covered in relation to what has already been acquired by the student in previous course years. In addition, students can deepen the study of the subject on textbooks and consulting the teaching material on the Web Classroom

The teachers are however available to students for explanations and supplementary explanations.

Students who do not pass the tests can try again after having studied the topics in depth