Institute Of Cancer Research Unveils Medical Image Competition Shortlist

The Institute of Cancer Research has shortlisted five pictures taken using medical imaging equipment to highlight the wide range of striking discoveries found using state-of-the-art diagnostic technology.

The ICR produced this shortlist as part of their Science and Medical Imaging Competition for 2022, which is a public competition that showcases the research done by both the researchers at the ICR and at The Royal Marsden in an aesthetically striking way.

What makes the competition unique is its focus not on the discoveries in general but on the beauty of the photography, similar to other photography contests and showcasing some truly awe-inspiring visuals that create beauty and art from cells, tissues and disease.

It goes to a public vote, with the pictures widely shared around social media, with both a public and judge’s winner being chosen at the end of the campaign.

There are five images in total, from a range of different researchers and postgraduate students.

These include “Islands” which depicts a dyed bladder cancer tumour tissue that highlights the protein of the cells and resembles a complex, stark landscape.

There is also a picture of a breast tissue cell culture taken using a 3D confocal microscope, highlighting how the tissues grow into their complex tree-like branching shapes from a single stem cell to an organ with many different functions.

As well as these, there is a picture of a breast cancer cell that had attached to a pH level detecting microchip, which highlights the potential for measuring acidity levels as a diagnostic tool for cancer.

There was also an abstract work based on the concept of cellular senescence, where cells stop dividing, which is believed to contribute to cancer cell growth and treatment resistance, but also could be used to develop medicines that stop this.

Finally, there is a 3D image of the cell DNA of a breast cancer tumour going through cell division.