After completion of the minor, students
- Are able to define the main molecular mechanisms involved in normal breast development and breast cancer, and to use this knowledge to explain concepts underlying general and personalized anti-tumor therapy.
- Can evaluate in vivo and in vitro model systems to investigate breast cancer biology and therapy.
- Have an overview of the main types of breast cancer diagnosis, biobanking, breast cancer patient screening, and treatment.
- Have acquired practical skills (e.g. pipetting, immunofluorescence, qPCR, cell culture, SPSS) aimed at investigating tumorigenesis and therapy, and to use this, in combination with the theoretical knowledge also obtained in this minor, to perform an experiment, interpret the results, and draft a report on the effect of treatment and hypoxia on breast cancer cells and in patients
- Have been trained in writing a research proposal
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About 14,000 women (and 100 men) are diagnosed with invasive breast cancer each year in the Netherlands, which means that 12-13% of women will develop breast cancer at any time in her life. Early detection, particularly via national breast cancer screening, combined with locoregional treatment and systemic adjuvant therapy has improved the prognosis in women with breast cancer (Breast Cancer Guideline, NABON 2012). In this minor, we will use breast cancer as example to understand the many factors that determine successful translational research on a human disease. Breast cancer is a good example for this approach as it is major cause of mortality, and a well-studied disease with various underlying molecular defects to which targeted therapies can be designed. Furthermore, breast cancer patient support and advocacy groups are relatively large and well-organized and are an important factor in research fund raising.
The main aspects covered in this minor include the following:
- The molecular mechanisms that cause the disease
- Preclinical cell and animal models to study the disease and to predict therapeutic efficacy
- Methods for diagnosis, and to design targeted and personalized treatment
- How to monitor efficacy of therapy?
- Patients-involvement in decision making?
- How to write a research proposal
Further information can be obtained by e-mailing the coordinators Mirjam Zegers (mirjam.zegers@radboudumc.nl) and Paul Span (Paul.span@radboudumc.nl).
Key words
Cancer biology, cancer diagnostics and screening, histopathology, cancer therapies.
Important point
Participation is obligatory for all lectures, workgroups/assignments and practicals. In case of absence for valid reasons (i.e, sickness or other emergencies), the minor coordinators should be contacted to discuss alternatives.
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