The Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie is organizing the Cancers exhibition from September 6, 2022 to August 8, 2023. A 600m² space to break taboos on this disease and understand its development mechanisms, diagnostic tools, treatments and psychological repercussions.
In France, cancer is the leading cause of death in humans and the second in women. Cancer is a widespread disease, which is still very taboo today and ultimately poorly understood. From September 6, 2022 to August 8, 2023, the city of Science (Paris, 19th arrondissement) is organizing a large temporary exhibition for the general public baptized Cancerwhich explores the disease, His development, its diagnosis, its treatments, its psychological repercussions on affected patients. It also offers an inventory of current scientific knowledge on the subject (biological mechanisms of cancerization processes, therapeutic arsenal, conventional therapies (radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery), new therapies (immunotherapy, hormone therapy) and received ideas about cancer. “cancer is a subject of societywhich concerns many people, who intimate touch ; a subject that is also scary but that ultimately we do not know very well. Hence the interest in setting up this exhibition. We have integrated it as another exhibition (the Cité des Sciences had already devoted an exhibition to the Microbiota in 2019 for example, editor’s note) but on a more difficult subject“, explains Maud Gouy, co-curator of the exhibition.
Today, nearly 4 million people are living or have had the experience of cancer in France. More 382,000 new cases are diagnosed every year and 157,000 people in die. The most common cancers in men are:
The most common cancers in women are:
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What do we see at the Cancers de la Villette exhibition?
The exhibition, designed in partnership with theNational Cancer Institute (INCa) and theInserm, is intentionally not linear. There is no compulsory route. Each visitor is free to explore the capsules in the order they wish (and to discover them all or not). As soon as you enter, an animated film is shown on a giant crab transparent – animal that symbolizes cancer in the collective imagination. The film reminds visitors that theance before becoming a disease is a natural process of evolutionthat the first biological phenomena of cancer appeared over 500 million years ago and that humans are not the only ones who can be affected by the disease. Plants and animals can also develop cancer. “Only the elephant, the whale and the mole-rat escape it.“explains Laurence Caunézil, co-curator of the exhibition.
The exhibition is articulated around 5 spacesin which are arranged five audiovisual installations (3 devoted to medicine and research, 2 to the feeling of explosion caused by the announcement of cancer). The first one is a kind of large dome on which a film is projected presenting the genetic and biological processes at work when cancer develops. The second is an immersive projection that brings together testimonials on the announcement of the disease and the sharing of fatigue, the heaviness of treatments, their side effects and remission. In the other spaces, visitors can learn more about advances in medical research on the disease, treatments and prevention.
“It’s an exhibition that is not scary, which is not anxiety-provoking, it shows the disease as it is”
Between each space, 5 large sculptures baptized”totems” are arranged to enlighten the visitor on imaging techniques useful in the diagnosis of cancer, self-image, supportive carethe relation to the body during illnessthe links between cancer and dietcancer and the environment or the return to work after cancer. “The exhibition wants to lift the taboos that there are on cancer. The objective is to show each facet of the disease: from the announcement, which for 32% of patients is the worst moment of their course, support with different treatments“, adds Laurence Caunézil. Will the general public be there? “We rely on word of mouth to attract visitors. It is an exhibition that does not scare, which is not anxiety-provokingit shows the disease as it is“, concludes Maud Gouy.
The exhibition gives the floor in video to 11 researchers which produce new knowledge and bring out scientific, social and technical avenues to fight against cancer. For instance :
- L’artificial intelligence at the service of pathologists (Anne-Vincent Salomon, doctor, pathologist Institut Curie)
- Tracing cancer by smell (Isabelle Fromantin, nurse, doctor of science, Institut Curie Paris)
- Liquid biopsy: a major challenge (Catherine Alix-Panabieres, Director of LCCRH at Montpellier University Hospital)
- Immunotherapy, a precision weapon (Karin Tarte, professor of immunology, Rennes)
From what age for children?
The exhibition is open for over 14 years old. Other events are organized in parallel, from October 2022, in formats suitable for younger audiences. Through three presentations, mixing tales and question and answer games, young spectators are invited to better understand the origin and the mechanisms responsible for cancer, via a dive into the human body to discover the evolution of a cell that goes wrong, as well as the various possible treatments.
- Cancer is taboo, we will all overcome it! All ages, from 10 years old, 45 min
- Once upon a time there was cancer. From 6th to 4th, 45 min
- Cancer: a cell that goes wrong. From 3e to Terminale, 45 min
How much does it cost to see the Cancers exhibition?
- 12 euros for the normal price
- 9 euros for the reduced rate (under 25, students, 65 and over, teachers, large families)
- Free for children under 2 years old, job seekers and beneficiaries of social minima, disabled people and their companion
Cancers exhibition at the City of Sciences and Industry (30 avenue Corentin Cariou – 75 019 Paris), From 14 years old. from September 6, 2022 to August 8, 2023. Open every day, except Monday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and until 7 p.m. on Sunday. Reservation recommended on cite-sciences.fr.