OBJECTIVES

To enable the student to: (1) recognize the different treatment modalities of laryngeal cancer; (2) to critically read the respective available literature; (3) through the chosen tumor site (larynx), to critically evaluate the various treatment options.

BACKGROUND

Laryngeal cancer is one of the most common neoplasm of the head and neck region, accounting for about 25% of the malignant tumors that affect this area and 2% of all human malignancies. Brazil has an occurrence of about 8,000 new cases and 3,000 deaths from the disease annually. The different treatment modalities aim the oncological cure, however, historically, there have been diverse tendencies to the best therapeutic options, for both early and advanced tumors. There is ample literature available and attempts to standardize care, however, with some controversy. The student should be able to read a scientific article correctly and evaluate it critically, recognizing biases.

Currently, Telemedicine (TM) is an important instrument that offers ample amount of resources that can be used for education, assistance and research purposes. These are areas that employ modern computer and telecommunications technologies to create tools and solutions that can be used at local, regional, national or global levels. The important evolution and consolidation of the TM in Brazil has been accelerating since 2004, due to the modernization of telecommunications infrastructure, the advancement and accessibility of information technology and government policies. TM is essentially the application of interactive technologies from computers and telecommunication to Medicine. TM can be seen as an area requiring broad multiprofessional integration to apply technology to medical practice and health, with the aim to increase accessibility, logistics and to improve the quality of health services. This course will enable the use of modern interactive technologies and their practical interactions.

In addition to consulting the recommended literature, the online classes and the interaction in chat rooms will be entirely in English, to meet the internationalization process of the University of São Paulo. Allying the resources of telemedicine with the accomplishment of the course in English will give the opportunity to the student to interact with specialists of other countries.