Over 500,000 people in the United States and over 8 million people worldwide are dying every year from cancer. As people live longer, the incidence of cancer is rising worldwide and the disease is expected to strike over 20 million people annually by 2030. This open course is designed for people who would like to develop an understanding of cancer and how it is prevented, diagnosed, and treated.
Introduction to the Biology of Cancer
Give your career the gift of Coursera Plus with $160 off, billed annually. Save today.
Introduction to the Biology of Cancer
This course is part of Cancer Biology Specialization
Instructor: Kenneth J. Pienta, M.D.
206,902 already enrolled
Included with 
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.8
(7,494 reviews)
Beginner level
No prior experience required
Flexible schedule
Approx. 8 hours
Learn at your own pace
97%
Most learners liked this course
Skills you'll gain
Details to know
Shareable certificate
Add to your LinkedIn profile
Assessments
7 assignments
Taught in English
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills
Build your subject-matter expertise
This course is part of the Cancer Biology Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
- Learn new concepts from industry experts
- Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
- Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
- Earn a shareable career certificate
Earn a career certificate
Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV
Share it on social media and in your performance review
There are 6 modules in this course
In this first week, we'll get a high-level introduction to the basics of cancer biology as well as incidence and common types of cancer.
What's included
5 videos4 readings1 assignment
Now, we'll turn our attention to the genetics of cancer, variation and mutation, two-hit hypothesis, and genomic instability.
What's included
4 videos1 assignment
All cancers share ten cellular hallmarks. This week, you'll learn to identify these hallmarks in order to distinguish a normal cell from a cancerous cell.
What's included
4 videos1 assignment
The lethal agent of cancer is metastasis. This week, we'll take a good look at this deadly event, TNM staging, the metastatic process, and an ecological paradigm.
What's included
5 videos1 assignment
This week, we'll examine imaging as a tool for diagnosis, staging, and treatment of cancer.
What's included
5 videos1 assignment
In this final week, we'll examine the variety of treatment options available to doctors and patients as well as the features of clinical trials and how they are used to improve the treatment arsenal.
What's included
9 videos1 reading2 assignments
Instructor
Instructor ratings
4.8 (1,613 ratings)Offered by
Recommended if you're interested in Basic Science
Imperial College London
University of California, Irvine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
The University of Sydney
Why people choose Coursera for their career
Felipe M.
Learner since 2018
"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."
Jennifer J.
Learner since 2020
"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."
Larry W.
Learner since 2021
"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."
Chaitanya A.
"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."
Learner reviews
Showing 3 of 7494
4.8
7,494 reviews
- 5 stars
84.81%
- 4 stars
13.11%
- 3 stars
1.62%
- 2 stars
0.21%
- 1 star
0.22%
New to Basic Science? Start here.
Open new doors with Coursera Plus
Unlimited access to 7,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription
Advance your career with an online degree
Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online
Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business
Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy
Frequently asked questions
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.