KNOWLEDGE AND COMPREHENSION: to acquire fundamental knowledge about the biological and clinical characteristics of cancer diseases, their course and complications, as well as treatment modalities and related efficacy and adverse events.
ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND COMPREHENSION: to be able to apply the acquired knowledge as a sound basis for managing the clinical nursing problems of the oncology patient, both with regard to disease-related and treatment-derived disorders.
JUDGEMENT AUTONOMY: acquire adequate critical processing skills in the nursing and multidisciplinary management of the oncology patient.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS: acquire appropriate biomedical terminology and the ability to accurately explain patient problems to collaborate effectively with other professionals involved in the multidisciplinary management of the oncology patient; acquire the ability to transfer technical information to patients in a language they understand.
LEARNING SKILLS: acquire the ability to independently deepen specific topics in the field of oncology and make the necessary connections with other teachings in the degree program.

Some knowledge of biology, pathology, genetics.

• Tumor biology.
• Epidemiology of tumors and primary and secondary oncological prevention.
• Principles of pathology, diagnosis, staging and therapy of tumors.
• Hereditary tumor predisposition syndromes.
• Anticancer drugs and their adverse events.
• Natural history and principles of therapy of the main thoracic and head and neck cancers.
• Natural history and principles of therapy of the main neoplasms of the gastrointestinal system.
• Natural history and principles of therapy of the main urogenital and breast neoplasms.
• Skin tumors and rare tumors.

Lecture slides will be provided. The use of a text is not indispensable for the preparation of the exam.
For further knowledge reference can be made to the texts:
• "Manuale di oncologia per infermieri" by Alberto Ravaioli, Il Pensiero Scientifico Editore.
• “Manuale di Oncologia Medica” del Collegio degli Oncologi Medici Italiani, edited by Massimo Aglietta, edizioni Minerva Medica (2nd edition)

• Tumor biology: benign and malignant tumours; genomic alterations; oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes; driver and passenger mutations; clonal evolution of tumors; tumor heterogeneity; hallmarks of cancer. • Tumor pathology: histopathological classification, grading, staging, prognostic and predictive factors. • Tumor diagnosis (clinical, pathological and instrumental). • Principles of cancer therapy: surgery, radiation therapy, neo/adjuvant medical therapies and therapies for advanced disease. • Tumor epidemiology and oncological prevention: definitions of incidence, prevalence, mortality, survival, standardized rates; data on incidence, mortality, prevalence, survival for the main tumors in Italy and in the world; time trends of incidence and mortality for some cancers; causes of cancer; cancer screening and their objectives and main biases. • Hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes: BRCA1 and BRCA2, familial adenomatous polyposis, hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (Lynch syndrome). • Anticancer drugs: categories; types of drugs with a molecular target (small molecules, monoclonal antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates); therapeutic targets in the tumor cell and in tumor microenvironment; anti Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) drugs and their adverse events; anti HER2 drugs and their adverse events; anti-angiogenic drugs and their adverse events; intracellular enzyme inhibitor drugs (RAS, RAF, MEK, PI3K, mTOR); immunotherapies and their adverse events; notes on hormonal therapies; main categories of chemotherapy and their adverse events. • Natural history and principles of therapy of the main thoracic neoplasms and of tumors of the head and neck. Lung cancer: risk factors, tobacco smoke damage; histopathological classification of lung tumors, predictive molecular abnormalities; clinical presentation, diagnosis, staging; principles of therapy of non-small cell lung cancer: surgery, radiotherapy, neoadjuvant and adjuvant drug therapy, therapy for metastatic disease (molecularly targeted drugs, immunotherapy, chemotherapy); hints of therapy of pulmonary microcytoma. Pleural mesothelioma. Cervicofacial tumors: risk factors, histopathological classification, staging, molecular typing, clinical presentation, principles of therapy. • Natural history and principles of therapy of the main neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract: epidemiology and evolution model of colorectal carcinoma; risk factors and hereditary predisposition syndromes for colorectal cancer; precancerous lesions; colorectal cancer screening; histopathological classification of colorectal cancers, clinical presentation, diagnosis, staging; principles of therapy: surgery, adjuvant drug therapy, therapy of metastatic disease. Notes on tumors of the stomach, pancreas, liver and biliary tract. • Natural history and principles of therapy of the main urogenital and breast neoplasms. Breast cancer: epidemiology, risk factors, screening, diagnosis, staging, predictive and prognostic factors, histological types, subtypes of breast cancer, natural history; neoadjuvant therapy, surgery, adjuvant therapy, metastatic breast cancer therapy. Prostate cancer: epidemiology, risk factors, histopathological diagnosis, degree of differentiation, staging, predictive and prognostic factors, locoregional therapies, drug therapy. Notes on tumors of the ovary, uterus, testis. • Skin tumors and rare tumors: melanoma, brain tumors, neuroendocrine tumors, sarcomas.

Lectures, quizzes, clinical case discussions.

Lecture slides and any further study material will be made available to students via the Teams platform.

There will be a written examination with 30 multiple-choice questions and one open-ended question, to be taken in a maximum time of one hour. For each multiple-choice question there will be four answers, only one of which will be correct. Grading will be by a score in thirtieths, calculated by adding the number of correct answers out of the total of thirty questions. A minimum score of 18/30 is required for passing the exam. The answer to the open-ended question, if correctly and comprehensively stated, will serve to earn honors, for those who had achieved a score of 30/30. It is possible to request, immediately after the written test is taken, an additional oral portion of the examination to improve the grade obtained in the written test. In this case, at least two questions will be asked, and the grade will increase in proportion to the correctness and comprehensiveness of the answers.
For students who request it, it is possible to take an oral examination in place of the written one. In that case, at least three open-ended questions related to the topics given in the course content will be offered. The student must demonstrate that he or she possesses the knowledge and skills reported in the course objectives. The evaluation for the oral examination will also be in thirtieths. To pass the exam, the student must correctly answer at least two questions. On the other hand, to achieve the highest score, the student must demonstrate excellent knowledge of all topics covered in the course.

Health and wellbeing.