Fall, Winter, and Spring Sessions. Eight-Week Session

Course Coordinator:
David N. Danforth, Jr., MD

Course Description
The surgery branch conducts a fully integrated laboratory and clinical research program to develop and test combination therapy regimens for selected cancers. These surgical protocols utilize adjunctive chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and specific and nonspecific immunotherapy. Presently, patients with melanoma and with carcinomas of the stomach, colon, pancreas, liver, peritoneum, and breast are being treated. The laboratory investigations conducted by the professional staff focus on the development of trials and on the development of means of determining the efficacy of adjuvant therapies, particularly immunotherapy.

The teaching program conducted for medical students emphasizes both clinical oncology and experimental tumor immunology. Students work in the clinical wards and take part in surgery. Bedside teaching rounds are held daily, and grand rounds are held weekly. A portion of the grand rounds is devoted to presentations by distinguished scientists who are guests of the surgery branch. Twice weekly, research activities in progress are presented for critical review by the staff. Interdepartmental conferences are held on a regular basis with the other units of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) participating in the combined modality treatment trials. Outpatient clinics are held twice weekly for screening of patients referred for admission and for follow-up observation and care of patients receiving adjuvant therapy. Students attend all of these activities and participate in the daily care of hospitalized patients.

The teaching program is intended to acquaint the medical student with the principals of surgical oncology. Although the primary orientation is surgery, the integration of other treatment methods is stressed. Participants will have an opportunity to see new patients in the outpatient clinic, to follow their progress through an extensive workup, to attend rounds and conferences at which treatment is discussed, and to help in the surgical and postoperative management of these patients.

Although laboratory research is closely coordinated with clinical activities, the student will not engage in the laboratory investigations of the Branch during this course. Opportunity for such work is available to postgraduate trainees in the Clinical Associates Fellowship Program.

Because of the nature of the elective, housing should be within walking distance of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) if a car is not available.

Third- and fourth-year medical students who are interested in coming to the Surgery Branch of the NCI during holidays, summer vacations, or any other times may request alternative dates in their application. The same advantages for learning and participating in the work of the branch will be offered during these off-session courses.

Staff

• Steven A. Rosenberg, MD, PhD, Chief of Surgery
• Avital, Itzhak
• David N. Danforth, Jr., MD
• Hughes, Marybeth
• Kammula, udai
• Kwong, King
• Steven K. Libutti, MD
• James F. Pingpank, MD
• Royal, Richard
• Schrump, David
• Richard Sherry, MD
• James C. Yang, MD