“During October of [the 2016] school year, I led my AP Biology students through the Introduction to the Science of Cancer course. It helped my students to bridge the gap between the content they were learning in the classroom and apply it to a real-life situation, the treatment of cancer. At first, I was worried about the materials being at a level that was too difficult for my students to understand. But, after completing the first module, I realized that the course was a perfect fit for my AP students.”
Mr. Drew Braun, science instructor, Celina High School, Celina OH.
- To teach the basics of cancer science is to present the wonders of living cells and of DNA, genes and heredity.
- It offers a real-world example of how the human body works and how things can go wrong.
- To learn how and why cancer happens is to learn why cell and molecular biology are important and exciting.
- Students will learn about the various tests and technologies that are used to diagnose cancer, including X-rays, CT, MRI and PET scans, and ultrasound, and how they differ.
- The course includes the roles of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immune therapy in cancer treatment.
- Teaching cancer science provides an overview of the exciting advances being made in medical science, technology and research and may stimulate a desire to enter medicine or research.
- Cancer science can help students understand how tobacco and alcohol cause cancer, why diet and exercise help prevent cancer, and the importance of vaccination and screening in preventing cancers, enabling them to make better lifestyle decisions in life.
- Students will learn that taking steps to lower the risk of cancer can also lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and other serious diseases.
- They will learn the difference between basic research, population science research, epidemiologic research, preclinical research and clinical trials.
- Learning the basics of cancer science can help eliminate the myths and misunderstandings that add to the fear, anxiety and suffering caused by a disease that touches nearly every family.