© The Breast Journal, Vol 26 No 5 September/October 2019
Radiation therapy tattoos have been used for decades to set up and position patients for treatment, but did you know that new evidence suggests that as much as 78% of patients strongly prefer not to have tattoos or marks?
In a recent quantitative study published in the September issue of The Breast Journal, <i>Radiotherapy tattoo; Women’s skin as a carrier of personal memory – what do we cause by tattooing our patients?,</i> 138 Young Survival Coalition cancer patients and survivors were surveyed about how they feel about permanent radiation tattoos and marks.
Study Results
- 70% had negative feelings about this involuntary body modification.
- 78% of patients would choose treatment which avoided tattoos and/or marks, even if additional efforts were required, additional costs, distance, and time for travel.
- 45.5 miles was the mean additional distance patients were willing to travel to a center that has a tattooless or markless option.
Radiation technology is advancing every day and technology is available that can be used to avoid tattoos. Approximately 70% of the top US News and World Report’s Best Hospitals for Cancer® use this technology.
Over 25 centers currently offer tattooless and markless treatments around the world.