1. Biology of Cancer Class Metastasizes Knowledge Chris Barbey, Madeline Connley, Ben Davis, Rachel Hightower, Jon Reeck, Caleb Sutherland, and Cheryl L. Jorcyk ►Class: Molecular Biology of Cancer (Biol 541SL and Biol 441SL) ►Instructor: Cheryl L. Jorcyk, Ph.D. ►Agency: Boise State University ►Project Purpose: To empower with knowledge individuals in the Boise State Community who have been affected by cancer. ►Learning goals: To expand each student’s understanding of cancer and provide an interactive experience involving cancer through volunteer service. ►Community need addressed: To increase the knowledge base of individuals affected by cancer. Student Enrichment through Service Learning: W orking with a cancer patient has greatly influenced my education far beyond what classroom learning is capable of. I have had the opportunity to reach out to a cancer patient in our community with a very rare cancer, spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma. Little is known about this cancer, and mystery can be very frustrating to an already frightened patient. Helping this patient better understand her cancer has been a very rewarding experience and made me feel like I was really making a difference in her life. It has given me a completely new level of enthusiasm and motivation to continue on a path to becoming a health care provider. Participating in service learning has enabled us to take the knowledge we learn in the classroom and use it to help people in our community who need it most. With countless hours spent reading textbooks, attending lectures, and analyzing data, having the opportunity to apply what we learn to real life situations adds a very rewarding, sentimental edge to our learning. The time we have spent aiding cancer patients and others affected by cancer in our community is sure to make us better future grad students, researchers, and doctors in the fight against cancer. Interacting with Patients and Family Members A lmost everyone has been affected by cancer, be it through the diagnosis of a friend, family member, or an acquaintance. It is an inescapable part of our society. By sharing our knowledge with those close to the cancer battle, we not only better the public understanding of cancer pathogenesis, we help take the fear out of cancer. Often cancer patients can report experiencing an insufficient background explanation concerning their diagnosis. Boise State students in the class of Molecular Biology of Cancer provide a personalized cancer education for individuals in the community. Students helped the community by teaching individuals of the public:  To better understand what cancer is and how it is caused  To better understanding their own diagnosis or the diagnosis of a loved one  To learn the specifics of how cancer is caused By talking with individuals in the community who are close to cancer, we helped to provide a confidence that can only come through knowledge. Cancer Education and the community S ervice learning provided us the opportunity to reach out to the community. It was our privilege to be invited to the Good Samaritan of Boise and talk with a great group of senior citizens. Cancer was not alien to them and each had a personal investment in further understanding the biology of cancer. Their experience with cancer ranged from living with cancer, preparing for treatment, to the loss of family and friends. It was obvious that cancer prevention was in the front of their minds. Most of the questions addressed what type of foods they should be eating or how much exercise they should be getting. Seeing the interests in prevention was encouraging. It showed that the community cares about their own health. I like to think that our interaction at the Good Samaritan provided insight to the group. One gentleman was preparing for treatment for his recently diagnosed prostate cancer; we addressed radiation therapy. A woman had a long background of breast cancer in her family; we presented current treatment options and biology behind cancer development. Another woman had lost her father after what was thought to be a successful treatment; we explained why the cancer can return and the difficulties in catching it early. Most of us have someone close to us whom has experienced an emotional battle with cancer, but not everyone understands what is going on in the body. By reaching to the community, I believe Service Learning has helped others understand the biology of cancer occurring in the body. Purpose and Methods of Service Learning C ancer, in all its forms, is a leading cause of death and serious disease. The pathology of cancer is very complicated. This combined with the fast pace of research and clinical innovation makes cancer biology a difficult topic, even for experts. As a consequence, patients who wish to gain a better understanding of cancer biology may find themselves stuck somewhere between the blog-a-sphere and technical journals. Cancer is a disease of miscommunication and confusion at the level of cellular signaling. In a sense, this theme of confusion extends to the experience of the patient. The body is in rebellion, perhaps refusing to cooperate with treatments. Not only the patient, but friends and family members may not understand what is happening and how to deal with it. Learning some basic cell and cancer biology may help to address these concerns. To meet this need, students from Boise State’s Molecular Biology of Cancer course translated their classroom experience into projects aimed at educating populations affected by cancer. “The information that I received was tremendously valuable. It has been an awesome experience!” --Abby Leach (Spindle Rhabdomyosarcoma patient) Cells from a spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma patient A metastasizing cancer cell http://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/igp/cancerFac.ht m allthingsbeautiful.com A molecular look at cancer “I don’t make any time to research [cancer] because life gets in the way, and you’ve taught me so much I wouldn’t normally look up myself.” --Amy Vecchione (Family member of 2 affected persons)