title: A course in cancer prevention for practicing physicians.
abstract: Comprehensive medical education in cancer prevention must advance knowledge and skills, notably in the psychosocial sciences, which have direct application in clinical practice. This course for physicians-in-training is based on the precept that alterable factors in cancer causation are consequences of physician and/or patient behaviors; the educational goal is therefore to effect behavior change in both groups. Sessions address critical concepts in cancer causation in relation to multifactorial and multistep etiologies, rates and risks, induction periods, and basic principles of biological and behavioral cancer prevention. In sections on smoking, diet, drugs, occupation, radiation, and genetics, concepts of the mechanisms that control disease are described, techniques for operationalizing these concepts are identified, and clinical skills needed for application are taught interactively. Concluding presentations promote integration of preventive skills, strategies and services into an acute care practice. The potential impact of this educational program is discussed.
mesh_terms: D003479:Curriculum; D004032:Diet; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D000074606:Smoking Prevention