RTS2101 Fundamentals of cancer and its management
Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
RTS2101 Fundamentals of cancer and its management is a level 2, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, offered in 2021 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2021
- Semester 1
- Clayton
- Assessment
- Exam 40%
- and 3 other tasks
This is the 2021 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before RTS2101
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After RTS2101
No unit lists RTS2101 as a prerequisite in the 2021 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Corequisite – Course: M2013 or M2017.
Overview
This unit provides an introduction to cancer and its management. It allows students to explore the cellular and molecular basis of cancer and how it spreads.
It also covers familial cancers and the principles associated with palliative and radical treatment intent.
The principles of patient centred interdisciplinary oncology are also discussed in the context of the cancer patient experience from diagnosis to treatment and follow up. A range of different cancer management strategies are investigated with a focus on radiation therapy modalities and patient care.
Students will begin to develop an understating of radiation planning and dosimetry and actively participate in optimising dosimetry. This unit will also include an introduction to information management in the radiation oncology environment.
Students undertake a one-week (5 days) clinical orientation placement in a radiation therapy centre.
Offerings in 2021
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Eclipse planning activities (1,500 words)20%
- Clinical workbook and clinical assessment (750 words)10%
- Paired task-Group poster presentation & audio narration on cancer management (500 words per student)30%
- End of semester exam (2 hours and 10 minutes)40%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Describe the principles related to cancer biology, the molecular basis of cancer, familial cancers, and the metastatic and systemic effects of cancer
- 2
Differentiate between the radiation therapy modalities used to treat a range of malignant and non-malignant diagnoses.
- 3
Discuss the processes of radiation therapy planning and dose optimisation for a range of diagnoses
- 4
Explain cancer management strategies such a surgery, cytotoxic chemotherapy, hormone therapy in the context of specific diagnoses
- 5
Discuss patient centred care and side effect management in radiation therapy patients
- 6
Characterise the components of a radiation therapy information management system
Workload and teaching
- Tutorials22 hours
- Lectures12 hours
- Practical activities1 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
1 hour lecture, and a 2 hour tutorial per week, 9 hours of self-directed interaction with Moodle based tasks, readings and activities per week and online support sessions.
Students undertake a one-week (5 days) clinical orientation placement in a radiation therapy centre.
For full details of the teaching approach to this unit, please refer to Moodle.
Learning resources
Required resources
SCIM - update new fields for 2021
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Imalda Devaparanam
- Associate Professor Caroline Wright
- Chief Examiners
- Associate Professor Caroline Wright
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for RTS2101?
RTS2101 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is RTS2101 offered?
In 2021, RTS2101 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.
Does RTS2101 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 40% of the final mark, alongside 3 other tasks.