Cancer Biology 101

Risk factors, how cancer grows, and how to treat it.

What you'll learn
Explain the risk factors for cancer
Describe the underlying causes for cancer
Discuss various treatment approaches for cancer
Apply knowledge to dealing with a loved one with cancer or in coursework related to cancer

Requirements
Some biology knowledge helpful but not required
Description
If you or a loved one has cancer and want to understand more about how cancer starts and spreads, then this course is for you. This course is also for you if you are a high school or college student taking biology or a related topic and want to learn more about cancer. This course is also a useful introduction to cancer biology for medical students and PhD students, although it might be considered a bit basic by some students at that level.

The message of this course is that huge progress has been made in understanding cancer. Most people now survive cancer whereas just a few years ago they did not. We'll talk about how cancer starts and spreads. We'll also talk about cancer staging and various types of cancer treatment as well as what to expect in the future.

What makes me qualified to teach you? I’m Dr. Emma Nichols. I have a PhD in cancer-related molecular biology and a Master’s degree in technical communication. I've spent my career as a medical writer and now a producer of online courses. It's my job to stay up to date in the latest advances in medical topics, including cancer, and it is my hope that I can convey this information to you in a clear and engaging manner.

Created by experts

Smitha Reddy, PhD, who has a PhD in neuroscience and postdoctoral training in cancer research, helped to create the course
slides on which the course is based.

My promise to you I am here to teach and communicate about science and medicine. If you have any questions about the course content or anything related to this topic, you can always post a question in the course or send me a direct message.

Go ahead and click the enroll button, and I'll see you in lesson 1!

All the best, Emma

Who this course is for:
High school and university biology students, premed students, and people with a personal interest in cancer biology