Grant: CIHR Café Scientifique Program

Cancer is often difficult to detect at the stage at which treatment and therapy would be most beneficial. Imaging techniques - methods of producing pictures of the body - have thus become a very important element in our ability to detect cancer early on. But imaging is used for more than just detection. Imaging is also important for determining how far a cancer has progressed, for determining the precise location of cancer prior to surgery or cancer treatment, and for checking if a cancer has returned. In a broader sense, images of cancer also impact other aspects of cancer prevention, treatment and outcomes. Images of cancer are used as deterrents in cancer prevention techniques. Imaginings of one's cancer impact on the psychological well being of patients, and drawings and other artistic expressions on cancer are helpful in patient treatment and healing processes. Imaging in cancer thus plays a very profound role in patient morbidity and mortality, and our Cafe Scientifique will engage members of the public in conversations around this critical technique. With 1 in 4 Canadians expected to die from cancer, there is a need to openly communicate on cancer issues. Members of the public will benefit from a greater understanding of how pictures of cancer impact their mental and physical well being, as well as aspects of cancer prevention, diagnosis and therapy.