Course Overview

Arm yourself with information. In this course taught by a frontline cancer researcher, you discover how cancer is caused, how it works, and what science is doing to stop it.

This 24-lecture course by Dr. David Sadava covers:

• The molecular biology of cancer development

• Genetic and environmental causes of cancer

• Current treatment methods (surgery, radiation, drugs)

• Cutting-edge research and prevention strategies

Video Lectures

01: Cancer Is an Ongoing Challenge (31 min)

History of cancer research and the shift to molecular biology approaches.

02: Cancer Is a Major Burden to Society (30 min)

Global impact of cancer and most common forms of the disease.

03: Discovering Causes of Cancer in Populations (30 min)

Epidemiological methods for studying cancer causes.

04: Some Causes of Cancer in Populations (31 min)

Environmental factors including tobacco, diet, and radiation.

05: DNA Is the Key to Understanding Cancer (30 min)

How genetic mutations initiate cancer development.

06: How Does DNA Change to Initiate Cancer? (31 min)

Chemical and radiation carcinogens that damage DNA.

07: How Do We Know If Something Causes Cancer? (32 min)

Scientific methods for identifying carcinogens.

08: How Do Normal Cells Function? (31 min)

Cellular biology basics and the role of the nucleus.

09: What Is Different about Cancer Cells? (30 min)

Nine distinctive properties of cancerous cells.

10: How Do Tumors Grow? (30 min)

Differences between benign and malignant tumors.

11: How Tumors Spread and Thrive (31 min)

Metastasis and angiogenesis processes.

12: What Are Tumor Viruses? (32 min)

Viruses linked to cancer development.

13: How Do Tumor Viruses Cause Cancer? (28 min)

Molecular mechanisms of viral oncogenesis.

14: How Do Cancer-Causing Genes Work? (30 min)

Oncogenes and their role in cell division.

15: Can Cancer Be Inherited? (30 min)

Genetic predisposition and hereditary cancers.

16: How Do Normal Genes Suppress Tumors? (32 min)

Tumor suppressor genes like BRCA1.

17: How Do Genetic Changes Result in Cancer? (33 min)

Cancer Genome Project and personalized medicine.

18: Treating Cancer with Surgery (31 min)

Evolution and principles of surgical oncology.

19: Treating Cancer with Radiation (32 min)

Radiation therapy techniques and stem cell transplants.

20: Treating Cancer with Drugs (31 min)

History and development of chemotherapy.

21: How Do Drugs Attack Cancer? (34 min)

Molecular targets of common cancer drugs.

22: Frontiers of Cancer Treatment (31 min)

Immunotherapy, gene therapy, and viral therapies.

23: Can Screening for Cancer Be Useful? (32 min)

Effectiveness of current cancer screening methods.

24: Can Cancer Be Prevented? (35 min)

Chemoprevention and future directions in cancer research.