What We Have Learned from Teaching the Principles of Cancer Biology

Abstract: Cancer has become a critical threat to human health and social development. Fortunately， most cancers are preventable. Therefore， establishment of Principles of Cancer Biology in undergraduate curriculum is necessary not only for medical students， but also for all students major in biological sciences， particularly those from normal universities. This study， from four aspects (establishment of the teaching rationales， formation of the teaching team， build up of course curriculum and selection of appropriate textbooks)， introduces what we have learned from three-year teaching of the Principles of Cancer Biology for senior undergraduates at College of Life Science， Capital Normal University. Due to the fact that cancer biology is a new and fast growing field， this course was taught in English to get students in direct contact with the current trends of cancer biology. Through intensive interaction among students， lecturers and take-home examinations， students’ capacity to directly understand the current frontiers of cancer biology and involve in cancer biology research has efficiently improved.

CSTR: 32200.14.cjcb.2011.06.0016