Cancer Center Amsterdam

The aim of this course is to give an introduction to the histology of malignant tumors and their precursor lesions. Microscopical structures, growth patterns, grading and staging systems, and different cell types present in selected tumor types will be explained and discussed by pathologists.
Many research projects focus on tumor biology in order to predict survival or therapy response, using DNA-, RNA- or protein-based tests. Understanding the biological mechanisms of a tumor may reveal new targets for future treatment. While many PhD students performing cancer research have a background in molecular biology, few are well acquainted with histological characteristics of tumors, and the clinical significance of histopathological findings. In daily clinical practice histopathological examination of tissue is the mainstay and gold standard of a cancer diagnosis, and the choice of treatment largely depends on pathological variables. This OOA course provides introductory hands-on training in the histopathology of tumors. The course aims to provide better insight in the histopathology of various tumor types, in relation to diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic significance. Basic knowledge of histology is the only prerequistie as the course includes an introductory session.
The Histopathology of Human Tumors course is comprised of hands-on sessions using scanned slides, plenary expert talks and multihead microscopy sessions.