2017/18 Undergraduate Module Catalogue
FOOD3340 Food and Cancer
10 creditsClass Size: 150
Module manager: Dr James Thorne
Email: j.l.thorne@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2017/18
Pre-requisite qualifications
Passes at 1st and 2nd year level in suitable biological science.This module is approved as a discovery module
Module summary
- What is cancer and what are the hallmarks of cancer? - How are carcinogenic food agents identified and classified? What is risk? How do environmental factors affect cancer risk? - Can food components cause cancers? - What is the evidence for the role of food components in causing or protecting against cancers? - Can obesity cause cancer? Can meat in the diet cause cancer? - What is the evidence that Brassicas, garlic, onions, tea, soya, fruit and vegetables offer protection against cancers?- If you have an interest in diet, nutrition and health then Food and Cancer is an essential module. Note that you must have passed level 2 of a biological science degree programme to be eligible for this module. This 10 credit module is taught by a series of lectures throughout semester 1.Objectives
On completion of this module, students should be able to:- understand and recall the hallmarks of cancer
- understand the central role of the diet in non-smoking related cancer, both in causative and protective roles
- understand the contributions of different forms of evidence (eg epidemiology, in vivo studies and mechanistic studies) and understand the basis of current dietary advice with regard to cancer prevention
- link nutritional information with in vivo biochemistry, and be able to differentiate between unbased claims, hypotheses and experimentally validated conclusions.
Learning outcomes
- Define the hallmarks of cancer
- Understand how the global cancer burden is evolving
- Critically evaluate claims that different dietary compounds may increase or decrease the risk of different cancers
- Understand how IARC decide on carcinogen classifications
- Evaluate the public health recommendations made by World Cancer Research Fund International
Syllabus
- What is cancer?
- What are the hallmarks of cancer?
- Paper evaluation 1
- Mechanisms of carcinogenesis
- Methods used to study the links between diet and cancer
- WCRF dietary recommendations and supporting evidence
- maintain a healthy body weight
- eat plenty of fruit and vegetables
- avoid high fat foods
- How many individual foods (and components) cause cancer
- Afllatoxins
- Pyrolysis products
- Formaldehydes
- Cholesterol (and cholesterol altering diets)
- Meat
- Paper evaluation 2
- How many individual foods (and components) prevent cancer
- Aspirin (and is it a food?)
- All-trans retinoic acid (and Vitamin A)
- Cholesterol altering diets
- Fibre
- Polyphenols
Teaching methods
Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
Lecture | 20 | 1.00 | 20.00 |
Private study hours | 80.00 | ||
Total Contact hours | 20.00 | ||
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 100.00 |
Private study
- Private study and examination preparation: 56 hours- Directed reading (compulsory examination question): 10 hours
- Directed reading: 16 hours.
Opportunities for Formative Feedback
Online MCQMethods of assessment
Exams
Exam type | Exam duration | % of formal assessment |
Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc) | 2 hr 00 mins | 100.00 |
Total percentage (Assessment Exams) | 100.00 |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Reading list
The reading list is available from the Library websiteLast updated: 21/02/2018
Browse Other Catalogues
- Undergraduate module catalogue
- Taught Postgraduate module catalogue
- Undergraduate programme catalogue
- Taught Postgraduate programme catalogue
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