'Cancer has many faces, this is mine' - Story of prothesis told through portraits

It is an art exhibition with a difference. The subjects are patients rather than models but the effects can be just as profound.

Patients who wear facial prostheses after treatment for head and neck cancer have had their portraits painted to illustrate the physical and psychological impact of living with a facial difference.

Fifteen patients who wear facial prostheses took part in the University of Leeds IMPRESSeD study. It compares modern and conventional methods of producing the prostheses.

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The study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and Leeds Hospitals Charity.

The opening of the I'm Still Me" exhibition at The Bexley Wing of St James's Hospital. Credit: Mark BickerdikeThe opening of the I'm Still Me" exhibition at The Bexley Wing of St James's Hospital. Credit: Mark Bickerdike
The opening of the I'm Still Me" exhibition at The Bexley Wing of St James's Hospital. Credit: Mark Bickerdike

The portraits were painted as part of a public engagement project, named “I’m Still Me”, inspired by the research and co-created by the patients, researchers, healthcare professionals, artists and public engagement practitioners.

They will be exhibited in the Atrium of the Bexley Wing at St James’s Hospital, Leeds, until January 31.

The IMPRESSeD study was led by Dr Rachael Jablonski, current NIHR academic clinical lecturer and specialty registrar in restorative dentistry at the Leeds School of Dentistry and Leeds Dental Institute, as part of her PhD.

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She said: “Almost all the patients who took part in the interviews preferred the newer processes of making facial prostheses in our initial study. The next step would be a future full-scale trial.”

The opening of the I'm Still Me" exhibition at The Bexley Wing of St James's Hospital. Credit: Mark BickerdikeThe opening of the I'm Still Me" exhibition at The Bexley Wing of St James's Hospital. Credit: Mark Bickerdike
The opening of the I'm Still Me" exhibition at The Bexley Wing of St James's Hospital. Credit: Mark Bickerdike

​New techniques employ 3D facial scanning as a less invasive way of capturing the shape and texture of a patient’s face, as well as computer-aided design using artificial intelligence to reconstruct the facial feature, and 3D printing the design to help produce the facial prosthesis.

The portraits were created by a group of painters assembled by Salford artist Sarah Morley following her work on a similar, previous project.

For the IMPRESSeD study, Dr Jablonski won an award from the British Society of Prosthodontics.

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Eve Hartrick, Director of Finance and Corporate Services at Leeds Hospitals Charity, said: “Thanks to donations, we were proud to join forces with the University of Leeds and NIHR and provide £25,000 of funding for Dr Rachael Jablonski’s IMPRESSeD research study into prosthesis.

The opening of the I'm Still Me" exhibition at The Bexley Wing of St James's HospitalThe opening of the I'm Still Me" exhibition at The Bexley Wing of St James's Hospital
The opening of the I'm Still Me" exhibition at The Bexley Wing of St James's Hospital

“We are committed to investing into research of rare diseases and delighted that it inspired the I’m Still Me exhibition, putting a spotlight on the experiences of people living with head and neck cancers in the region.”

One of the patients, identified only as Robin, said: “Cancer has many faces – this is mine.” The public engagement project was funded by Research England’s Enhancing Research Culture funding stream with additional support provided by a University of Leeds Engagement Fellowship.

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