Cancer Clinical Genetics (Oncogenetics)
ABOUT THE COURSE
The Cancer Clinical Genetics Course aims to provide clinicians and healthcare professionals with foundational knowledge and practical skills in cancer genetics. The course is designed to strengthen understanding of hereditary cancer risk, genetic testing, counseling, prevention, and treatment, with particular attention to the application of cancer clinical genetics in African and other resource-limited settings.
Genetic testing can play an important role in identifying individuals and families at increased risk for hereditary cancers and can help inform prevention, prognosis, treatment, and clinical management. This course provides a foundation for clinicians who do not have specialized training in clinical cancer genetics but would like to better understand the field and incorporate these principles into their practice.
The primary goals of the course are to:
1. Provide foundational training in cancer genetics, genomics, and the molecular basis of cancer development.
2. Build competencies in identifying and assessing individuals and families who may be at increased risk for hereditary cancer.
3. Increase understanding of genetic testing, interpretation, counseling, and their application to cancer prevention and treatment.
4. Strengthen the capacity of healthcare professionals to incorporate cancer genetics into clinical practice and improve care for patients at increased cancer risk.
Training Overview
The Cancer Clinical Genetics Course is a web-based, asynchronous training program covering the fundamental concepts and principles of clinical cancer genetics, with a focus on best practices and their application in Africa.
Topics include basic genetics and inheritance, hereditary cancers and cancer syndromes, ethics and regulatory considerations, oncology and genetics, genetic counseling, recognition of at-risk individuals and families, genetic testing, sequencing and genotyping technologies, and care pathways and referrals. Some course content also uses case-based examples to demonstrate the application of these concepts in clinical practice.
Participants have access to prerecorded lectures from faculty and experts representing institutions across Africa and the United States. The asynchronous format allows participants to complete the training at their own pace. There is no cost to participate in the course.