Demystifying Targeted Cancer Treatments

Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more This course has been designed for cancer research nurses and other members of the clinical research team. It can go towards your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and revalidation. This course may also be of interest to specialist cancer nurses, pharmacists and medical/science graduates with an interest in this area. A basic understanding of how cells work is needed to get the most out of this course. Some experience working in cancer is also recommended. You can use the hashtag #FLCancerTreatments to talk about this course on social media.

Topics Covered

• What are targeted treatments and how are they used today
• Biological concepts behind targeted cancer treatments
• Cell communication and cancer
• Treatments for solid tumours that block cell communication pathways (monoclonal antibodies and kinase inhibitors)
• Communicating to patients about targeted cancer treatments
• Side effects of treatments and how they impact patients’ quality of life
• The unique properties of blood cancers and the targeted therapies used to treat them
• The relationship between cancer and the immune system
• Various immunotherapy strategies including checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive cell transfer and cancer treatment vaccines
• How immunotherapy is reported in the news and managing patient expectations of treatment
• The challenges of drug resistance and the implementation of biomarker tests
• The future of targeted cancer treatments