BME 6680

Cancer for Engineers and Physicists

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2019-2020.

Introduction to clinical and biological aspects of cancer, organized primarily for a physical science and engineering audience that is interested in the topic but not necessarily steeped in biological training. Stress on description of current understanding and current clinical practice but not the history and process that has led to that understanding. In addition to the biological and medical aspects of cancer, engineering/chemistry/physics aspects of the process e.g., transport, reaction rates, tumor growth models will be discussed at a quantitative level when relevant to system-level understanding of cancer. Topics: Nature and hallmarks of cancer. Introductory human cell biology and modes of dysregulation by carcinogenesis. Cell cycle, aberrant mitogens, dysregulation of checkpoints. Framework and notation for describing reaction networks. Genetic foundations of cancer phenotype--germline and somatic. Tumorigenesis and metastasis. Clinical staging and medical management of the most common human cancers, including breast, prostate, lung, pancreas, colon, leukemia, lymphoma. Information on the course is summarized at blogs.cornell.edu/cancerforengineers.

When Offered Spring (offered alternate years).

Permission Note Enrollment limited to: graduate standing or permission of instructor.

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