This online course will introduce the essential concepts in oncology and provide fundamental information to health care professionals who work with oncology patients and their families.   

Oncology patients receive care from all health care settings – including tertiary care centres, general hospitals, community care clinics, long term care, and home care and from a variety of health care professionals, depending on their disease, treatment and needs. Given the increasing complexity of this growing patient population, caring for people with cancer and their families involves a particular set of skills and knowledge from a variety of health care professionals.   

Accreditation 

This self-directed course is accredited by the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA).  It meets the standards of quality for continuing professional development (CPD) in Canada.   

If you have already completed the Foundations for Oncology Nursing Practice (FONP or FOND) course with us, we DO NOT recommend the "Cancer Care Basics" course because all content would have been covered by FONP.  Please note that if you choose to take both "Cancer Care Basics" and "Foundations for Oncology Nursing Practice", only one of them will receive de Souza credits towards a de Souza Designation

Course Syllabus

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Describe the process of carcinogenesis and identify the key biological behaviours cancer cells acquire that enable them to grow uncontrollably, survive, and spread.  
• Explain the clinical significance of tumour biomarkers and molecular testing.   
• Explain how a diagnosis of cancer is made and the testing necessary to diagnosis and stage the disease.  
• Describe the use and therapeutic approaches of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, biotherapy, and hematopoietic stem cell transplant in treatment of cancer.   
• Describe the psychosocial aspects of cancer, including screening for distress and sexuality. 
• List some of the common survivorship issues.  
• List and describe six common symptoms of cancer, assessment, and management.  

Course Requirements

To receive a certificate, participants must complete the following before the course completion date:

1. Complete a pre-course evaluation
2. Complete all modules
3. Complete the quiz and case studies
4. Complete a post-course evaluation

Course Syllabus: To view the course syllabus, please click HERE

Time Commitment: This is a self-paced course. Participants have 12 weeks to complete all the course requirements.  Upon successful completion, participants will be awarded a certificate for 25 learning hours.

Eligibility

Available to all regulated health care professionals working along the cancer care continuum. This course is designed for front line multidisciplinary providers, including family physicians, nurses, pharmacists and allied health care providers. 

Special pricing: CANO-ACIO members who sign up for the de Souza Institute Cancer Care Basics (CANB00ODM26) will receive a $125 reduction on the course fee.  If you are currently a CANO member and want to take advantage of this pricing, please fill out the CANO-ACIO pricing application form.

Note that participants must apply for special pricing discount before paying for the course. The discount portion will not be refunded after payment of the course fee.

Payment must be received before you have access to the course. For more information, please visit our Cancellation & No Show Policy.

Participants can pay for this course online with a credit card, or send a cheque to: