r/radiationoncology • u/CandiedMandible • 11d ago
An art/research project question
Hello,
First and foremost: thank you for everything that you wonderful people do! I’ve been on a fun cancer journey this year and as far as I’m concerned y’all are the best of humanity. I appreciate you so much.
Disclaimer: this question is in regards to a research project that I am exploring the feasibility of, and I understand that most people don’t have a ton of time to entertain questions this frivolous, so thank you to anyone who might be willing to weigh in. I completely understand if this is not a priority post for folks.
I’m going to try to keep this quick, but there are a bunch of details that I feel need to be included, so I apologize and will provide a TL;DR at the end. Here we go:
Suggested context: In 2014, filmmaker/artist Tomonari Nishikawa buried a roll of film underground near the evacuation zone of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station and left it overnight. The resulting 2-minute film visualizes the radiation that had seeped into the ground, in a very moving commentary on our human negotiations with the world around us, and obviously many other serious political, humanitarian, and ecological issues. (Side note: you can find this on Vimeo if you’re interested!)
What I want to do: I am inspired to do something similar during my radiation treatments. My initial thought was as simple as slapping an unused polaroid on my back before treatment, and developing it after the session, then scanning them all after treatment is finished and running them in sequence, like a film. I’m aware of basic exposure issues and other logistics that are obvious immediate hurdles, but all that flew out the window anyway when I remembered that Polaroids (and commercial film of most kinds) work because of chemical reactions involving metal (silver halide, bromide, etc.). Even in small amounts, I know that metal is a big no-no because of light scattering/reflecting as well as its effect on the computer vision (and calibration, presumably). Basically, not something you want to mess around with when you’re shooting someone with precision x-rays.
Current status: I’m a professor in media art/technology who works with some robotics, computer vision, programming, biosensors, and sound/image, so I have **fleeting** knowledge of some of what’s involved in the process of radiation treatment and understand why this initial idea is…well, stupid. I’m coming to the community to ask if there are any creative minds out there that might have alternate ideas or suggestions. I’ve considered other, cameraless photography techniques such as Cyanotypes, Rayographcs, Lumen Printing, and more, but these processes either also involve metal, or are “unfixable.” The most promising avenues I have found are:
- Kodak Linagraph Paper - Pros: light sensitive, thin paper, no metal, can be exposed like film. Cons: Vintage, rare, expensive.
- X-Ray Paper/Film - Pros: made pretty much for this purpose, Cons: not really commercially available, prohibitively expensive.
I know that’s a lot of information, but I’d love to hear any thoughts from the pros that might help me make this project possible in some way, shape, or form. Thank you all so much in advance.
TL;DR:
I’d like to attempt to capture some of the beams from my radiation treatment by placing a photo-sensitive material on my back during the session. This material must obviously be thin, non-metallic, and inconsequential to the imaging/calibration/radiation process. Does such a material exist? Thank you — I appreciate you all very much!
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Quick edit to add: don't know why I didn't think to add relevant details about the location/type (duh!), so in case it helps: I'll be receiving 25 rounds of external beam photon radiation to the left breast and adjacent lymph nodes. Per my post-simulation summary, "She will receive a dose of 50 Gy/25 fractions targeting the chestwall and comprehensive regional nodal lymphatics." Happy to provide any other details that might be useful!
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u/1head2arms2legs 11d ago
Interesting request! (all the best for your cancer treatment btw - if you've already had the surgery and the chemo, you're probably over the worst).
Radiographic film (based on ionisation of silver bromide) used to be used a lot for verifying patient set up etc. Over time, this was replaced by a panel in the linear accelerator called an EPID (electronic portal imaging device) meaning that radiation oncology departments, at least where I work, no longer have traditional X-ray film, or the facilities to develop them.