Nutrition and Cancer

A very nice class. Well organized and taught by researchers from a great institute. Still, I think, the name is misleading. There is not much direct information about nutrition and cancer, as the title suggests! There is a lot of information about research and methods to study. So, it is really a nice class to learn about various ways to conduct research, evaluate the authenticity of research, and how the research is reported in news. If one is looking for a class that covers what the title suggests, there are many classes on other MOOCs, like Future Learn. Fees are high on edX if one needs to audit the class at their own pace (audit access is given only for a limited time). Audit access is free for a limited time only. I needed more time to explore, as I was doing some more interesting classes on other MOOCs on a similar topic, so I actually paid the fees, and well, since I had paid the fees, I completed the class! Still, I would recommend you explore this class in the audit mode and then decide if you want to keep this class on your dashboard --- then can pay for the certificate and upgrade your audit access.

I am sure, those interested in research in the field would love the class. I loved the class, still, if the audit access was not for a limited time, I would have only audited this class! There is no unlimited subscription on the edX platform, so, one can not audit multiple classes at the same time to learn at their own pace, so, be careful, if you are auditing this class and love it, you may choose to pay for the certificate! This will guarantee the class material on your dashboard for future reference.

I took this class as a cancer patient, who wanted to learn to be better informed to take care of my health through lifestyle changes! I am a lifelong learner, so, I apply my learning to upgrade my healthspan, live happy, and healthy. Happy learning and living!

A highly insightful course for anyone to pursue. This great course introduces most aspects from prevention to survival, and even on press reporting. Of great help for anyone to access information and research interests would be the topics on types of cancers and the various methods of approach to intervention. There was information given on general knowledge of how cancer is managed, from lifestyle changes to diet and supplementation and even some touchpoints on epigenetics and great tips on guidelines for cancer survivors. Would highly recommend everyone to participate in this course, whether as an introduction or as a refresher for updates through the reference links provided.

This course has a characteristic that I like a lot and it is: Didactic material, clear communication and understanding of the topics. It does not depart from its scientific character and the examples help to assimilate ideas and concepts more easily, so it is of great support for students in this matter as well as people who have an interest in learning about nutrition even with very basic knowledge about biology for example. Also the interviews with health professionals, specifically on the topic of cancer, invite to explore topics from which cancer patients would greatly benefit, or an understanding that can nurture their own experience and know how to deal with or minimally know the limitations that there is behind a very great work on the part of health professionals and researchers and rightly support an acquaintance in his cancer treatment, if he had one. Highly recommended.

This course is very informative with the latest updates related to Nutrition and cancer and is a good learning experience as an online course. The lectures through videos with the script on the side is very useful in understanding the concepts explained, that we can look back to these lectures if needed during the course. The self-paced course is convenient for working professionals to update our knowledge through following such a course outside working hours. The educational tools used in explaining the concepts through digital graphics, pictures etc, are very useful in the learning experience. The case studies and the interviews with people diagnosed with cancer gives a more practical approach in understanding the disease condition and the challenges that they face in real life. The discussion forum and peer assignments are also useful to learn from others perspectives of the disease.

It is an interesting way to get connected to a prestigious university like Wageningen university to pursue in education. Will highly recommend this course to others for the future. Hope to get connected with more of MOOC courses from Wageningen University. Thanks to all the efforts put in, in making this course informative and interesting.

I appreciate all the helpful and interesting information taught in this course. Learning official guidelines from world organizations has been enlightening. I look forward to feeling equipped and joining the community of people working to make a difference in public health.

Here are areas where I feel the course could be improved:

1) Give a sample quiz prior to the midterm to give verified learners an idea of the types of questions that will be asked. I found a few of the questions surprising for their seeming irrelevance to the goals stated for the course. Though I took copious notes on issues of public health during lectures, I did not record detailed information on some of the seeming minutia regarding minor points of study types, etc. Giving students an early quiz would help us to know where to focus our note taking.

2) Have a native English speaker who is proficient at English grammar review the test questions. I am a math and science teacher who sometimes edits scientific articles professionally, and I found at least two of the questions difficult to interpret due to outright grammatical errors or ambiguity.

3) Verified learners should evaluate the essays of other verified learners. After I submitted my essay at the end of Module 3, I received two other essays to evaluate. It seemed clear that both were written by students who were only auditing the class, since both were unusually short and did not address the points in the assignment rubrik. I have not received an evaluation for my essay yet, but I hope to glean helpful feedback from a student who is invested enough in the course to apply thoughtful consideration.

Overall, I am thankful that this course is available, and I appreciate all that I am learning.

Nutrition and cancer is a general course. It creates awareness about the importance and difficulties of nutrition in the process of cancer formation and treatment. The interaction of nutrition with genetic and epigenetic factors in cancer patients is summarized. It is explained that most of the information sources about cancer and nutrition are not reliable enough. It has been emphasized that a guideline on cancer and nutrition has not yet been made available to every patient. It is also almost impossible to create a standard nutritional guide for cancer patients. This issue should be considered specifically for each patient... No specific recommendations for cancer patients were made throughout this course. It is not mentioned that some nutrients can contribute directly to the treatment. Phytotherapy support has not been addressed. This is a useful course. However, it does not satisfy the expectations for contribution to treatment.

The experience in taking part in this course has been awesome. Name like Prof. Ellen Kampman and Prof. Sanders Kersten, among others, will remain a household name in my practice. I have a burning desire to gain professional control over the growing syndemic of NCDs, more importantly on cancers which some work mate and an acquaintance have been victim. Unfortunately my contribution as a nutritionist to their care was not to my satisfaction.

Haven take this course I feel more confident and certain of what I can do, nutritionally, to support cancer patients, and largely prevent people from developing it. To this end, I have succeeded in introducing the idea of exercise our at work place with work mates on every Tuesday. This has lasted for only one month, and I hope to nurture it into a sustained activity.

I look forward to securing scholarship and admission into the Masters in Public Health and Nutrition Epidemiology, in the near future.

I am delighted to have experienced your tutelage.

Thank you WUR.