This course will examine the many aspects of the "C" word - Cancer. This topic will be examined through the following lenses: biology, history, sociology, psychology, public health, medicine, politics and epidemiology. Specifically, areas that will be covered include a history of cancer and the early treatments, an overview of cancer biology and the cell cycle as well as current diagnostics and treatment approaches. We will also investigate patient care (both physical and mental wellness), the politics of acquiring research funding, grant options, the challenges of developing new therapies, health care options and costs, access to health insurance and health care, epidemiology of cancer (in the USA and world-wide), patenting of new technologies, and bioethics.