| Summary: | Abstract Introduction Tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes are involved in a complex network of intra- and extracellular components that ultimately result in uncontrolled cell reproduction or apoptosis. Multiple pathways of stimulation and inhibition converge, and it can be difficult for students to comprehend how all these inputs influence the outcome. Methods This PowerPoint presentation demonstrates an overview of the main genes and molecules associated with cancer cells. Additionally, it portrays the mechanisms by which they exert their effect. Students can selectively view the animations of the various stimulatory and inhibitory pathways and observe how the outcomes affect the overall process. The visual approach to the material is easy to follow and integrates multiple themes into one chart of pathways. The series of pathways is displayed as one large chart for an overview. The student can choose which specific pathway to examine more closely and it is subsequently displayed, presenting each ordered step as an animation. Results When polled, students unanimously reported that the act of combining all of these main steps into one, easy to read visual aid allows for a much better understanding of the material and how all the molecules involved interact with each other. Discussion By using a more interactive approach to an abstract concept, we have found that students are more enthusiastic about learning such complex material. The color-coding of specific elements in the pathways allowed for better recollection and understanding. The pathways involved in the cell cycle contain numerous steps, so only the main (clinically-relevant) steps were included.
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