What do clinical oncologists do?

Clinical oncologists are doctors who use radiotherapy and chemotherapy to treat and manage patients with cancer. They also use a range of other treatments to treat cancers, without using surgery.

Can molecular biology cure cancer?

There have been developed different techniques of molecular biology used to diagnose and treat cancer, including retroviral therapy, silencing of oncogenes and mutations in tumor suppressor genes.

Is cancer is a molecular disease?

Genes are arranged in long strands of tightly packed DNA called chromosomes. Cancer is a genetic disease—that is, it is caused by changes to genes that control the way our cells function, especially how they grow and divide. Genetic changes that cause cancer can happen because: of errors that occur as cells divide.

What is the difference between a medical oncologist and a clinical oncologist?

For physicians there are two specialties, ‘medical’ and ‘clinical’ oncology. Medical oncology focuses on drug treatments for cancer including chemotherapy, hormones and biological agents. Clinical oncology involves giving the drug treatments but also using radiotherapy, often as a combined approach.

Is Clinical Oncology competitive?

Entry is competitive so you will need achievements that are relevant to clinical oncology. It is desirable that your portfolio has evidence of audit/quality improvement projects, with the principles of change management. Evidence of exceptional achievement in medicine is also desirable.

How do Tumour suppressor genes work?

Tumor suppressor genes are normal genes that slow down cell division, repair DNA mistakes, or tell cells when to die (a process known as apoptosis or programmed cell death). When tumor suppressor genes don’t work properly, cells can grow out of control, which can lead to cancer.

What is the molecular cause of cancer?

Cancer is caused by specific DNA damage. Several common mechanisms that cause DNA damage result in specific malignant disorders: First, proto-oncogenes can be activated by translocations.

What is the molecular biology and translational cancer workshop?

An intensive workshop providing a substantive overview of molecular biology, translational cancer research, current lab techniques, career development, and the best practices of grant writing for the aspiring physician-scientist Ross L. Levine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York

What is the significance of genetic analysis of solid tumours?

Genetic analysis of solid tumours revealed the presence of a high degree of genetic abnormalities, such as aneuploidy, chromosome translocations etc. This is likely due to the lack of active p53 protein, and the ability of cancer cells to avoid cell death through apoptosis.

How does a normal cell become a cancer cell?

The transformation of a normal cell to a cancer cell is accompanied by the loss of function of one or more tumour suppressor genes and both gene copies must be defective in order to promote tumour development (see Alteration of genetic mechanisms in cancer ). Table 2. Examples of tumour suppressor genes