Coursera

Understanding Prostate Cancer (Coursera)

Offered by Johns Hopkins University,
Understanding Prostate Cancer (Coursera)

Welcome to Understanding Prostate Cancer. My name is Ken Pienta, Professor of Urology and Oncology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. I have been studying prostate cancer and treating patients with prostate cancer for over 25 years. I've put together this course in order to introduce you to the essentials of prostate cancer. This Understanding Prostate Cancer Course should be helpful to anyone who wants to develop a deeper understanding of prostate cancer biology and treatment. It should be useful to students who are interested in a deeper understanding of the science of cancer.

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Over 1,000,000 men worldwide and 230,000 men in the United States are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year. Three hundred thousand men worldwide and 30,000 men in the US are dying from prostate cancer every year. As people live longer, the incidence of prostate cancer is rising worldwide and prostate cancer continues to be a major health problem. Thanks to years of dedication and commitment to research we’ve made enormous advances in the treatment of prostate cancer, But there is still a lot of work to be done. In this Understanding Prostate Cancer course, I will provide an introduction to the biology of prostate cancer as well as how it is identified and treated at various stages of the disease.
By the time you finish this course you'll be able to

  • Define risk factors for prostate cancer
  • Understand current prostate cancer screening guidelines
  • Understand prostate cancer staging
  • Understand treatments for localized prostate cancer
  • Understand treatments for advanced prostate cancer
  • Understand treatments to alleviate the symptoms caused by prostate cancer

It should also be helpful to health care providers, data managers, and educators who wish to develop a better understanding of prostate cancer and how it affects individuals. The course is not designed for patients seeking treatment guidance. For those of you who might be thinking about a career in cancer research or patient care, I hope this course will inspire you to pursue that path! The course is divided into five modules organized to facilitate learning.
I'm glad that you decided to join this course. I hope that you will develop a basic understanding of prostate cancer. I hope that it will help you in whatever field you work. If you are a student, I hope that what you learn here will help you begin a career in cancer biology research and contribute to the worldwide effort to save lives.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Welcome to Understanding Prostate Cancer
Biology, Incidence, and Risk Factors for Prostate Cancer
in this module you will be able to learn about the biology, incidents, and risk factors of prostate cancer, as well as prostate cancer screening.

WEEK 2
How Prostate Cancer is Found, Diagnosed, and Staged
In this module you will be able to examine how prostate cancer is found, diagnosed, and staged.
How Localized Prostate Cancer is Treated
In this module you will be able to learn how localized prostate cancer is treated and the side effects of treatment.

WEEK 3
Treatment of Metastatic Prostate Cancer
In this module, you will be able to learn how advanced prostate cancer is treated. This includes chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and hormone therapy.
Other Treatments to Support the Health of Prostate Cancer Patients
In this module, you will learn supportive treatments for patients of prostate cancer.

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