Department of
Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine

CCB 702 Syllabus

Cancer Pharmacology & Therapeutics CCB702

Course Syllabus - Spring 2019

Course Coordinators:

J. Michael Ruppert M.D., Ph.D.,
Jun Liu Ph.D and
Malcolm Mattes M.D.

Office Hours: by appointment

Class Meeting Format:

In class. 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM, Wednesday and Friday; Room 7606 HSS

Description: This course is designed for upper level graduate students. The course will provide a pharmacologic overview of each major drug class utilized in the treatment of cancer in addition to the standard approaches used to diagnose and treat major types of malignancies. There are no required textbooks.

Expected Learning Objectives:

Students are expected to understand the pharmacologic, pathologic and therapeutic principles involving cancer care. Levels of analysis will include:

  • The mechanism of action of each of the major classes of anticancer drugs
  • Differences in clinical pharmacology of drugs within each class
  • Basic diagnostic/pathologic approaches used in oncology
  • Treatment approaches for common cancers
  • Students will demonstrate competence and proficiency in the analysis of data from published manuscripts and clinical trial protocols, in particular for scientific rigor and reproducibility.

Grading:

Students will complete a take-home midterm exam covering the first part of the course. For the second portion of the course students will present the protocol for an active clinical trial to discuss the approaches used in the trial. The exam and presentation will each account for 50% of the final grade.

Scale
100-90% A;
89-80% B;
79-70% C;
< 70% F

Faculty members leading article discussions will evaluate the participation of each student.

Adverse Weather Commitment:

Adverse Weather Commitment: In the event of inclement or threatening weather, everyone should use his or her best judgment regarding travel to and from campus. Safety should be the main concern. If you cannot get to class because of adverse weather conditions, you should contact me as soon as possible. Similarly, I will notify you of any cancellations or change as soon as possible (before class starts), using email through SOLE to prevent you from embarking on any unnecessary travel. If you cannot get to class because of weather conditions, I will make allowances relative to required attendance policies, as well as any scheduled tests, quizzes, or other assessments.

Attendance:

Attendance is mandatory for the lecture and active participation in the paper discussion is part of the final grade. Students should contact the professor scheduled to lecture or the course coordinator when an excused absence is necessary.

Social Justice Statement:

"West Virginia University is committed to social justice. I concur with that commitment and expect to maintain a positive learning environment based upon open communication, mutual respect, and non-discrimination. Our University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age, disability, veteran’s status, religion, sexual orientation, color or national origin. Any suggestions as to how to further such a positive and open environment in this class will be appreciated and given serious consideration. If you are a person with a disability and anticipate needing any type of accommodation in order to participate in this class, please advise the course coordinator and make appropriate arrangements with the Office of Disability Services (293-6700). "