|
What is tattooing?
Tattooing is the placing of ink, usually black, under the top surface of the skin with a fine needle. It is a permanent mark. It can be used for adornment, for identification, or in the medical field of Radiation Therapy, to mark a treatment area.
What are the reasons for tattooing in Radiation Therapy?
Tattooing is done in Radiation Therapy for a number of reasons. In order to deliver a consistent treatment to any particular area of the body over a long period of time (such as 6-7 weeks) it is necessary to mark the body in some way. We have choices of a mixture of alcohol and red “paint” which is a specially mixed marking agent or skin marking pens, both of which are temporary. In that they are temporary only lies one of the reasons why tattoing came into use. They are easily washed off. And people who are undergoing Radiation Therapy like to bathe just like anyone else! Clothes rub, people perspire, washing the body on a daily basis, all of these things contribute to a loss or a drifting of marks over time. The therapist attempts to maintain the skin marks by daily refreshing of the marks. In Radiation Therapy treatments, we try to be as consistent and as accurate as is possible.
Therefore, many departments have found that using small tattoos to mark the most important points of the treatment area has become an invaluable tool for the therapist.
What does the tattoo look like?
Are you going to look like a sailor or an outlaw motorcycle rider? No. The tattoo consists of putting a dot of ink under the skin, often smaller than a freckle, which, in most cases, would not be seen by anyone other than the patient who knows that they are there or the therapist. This is another reason some patients opt for tattoos. They are highly private and do offer the privacy that many patients desire. Skin marks in ink often are visible to the public, which often then leads to questions that are highly personal. Many patients do not want to share the fact that they are having radiation therapy treatments with the general public. Also, tattoos do not rub off on clothing the way that many of the inks used do. This saves on laundry bills and the necessity of buying special clothes that will be disposed of later.
Does it hurt?
For many patients the thought of being stuck with a needle, again, usually after having been stuck for so many other tests and for Chemotherapy, is a very difficult decision. In all honesty, yes, there is a small amount of pain involved. It is minimal however compared with other needle sticks. The therapist uses the smallest needle she can to lift the top layer of the skin only and places a drop of ink under it. There is no deep penetration of the skin or body involved.
Are the tattoos permanent?
Yes, they are. Unfortunately, there are many negative connotations of tattoos in our society. These tattoos however provide a very positive tool in the treatment of cancer. In extreme cases of cancer, they provide a history of the patient’s treatment areas to future providers of care. This allows other departments in other hospitals the ability to locate quickly a previous treatment area so that it is not duplicated by their treatment. This helps physicians and therapists to provide emergency care if it is needed should the patient come from another Radiation Therapy facility.
We hope that this hand out helps to explain the rationale behind tattoos. It is your choice to have tattoos or not. When the therapist or the physician asks you, take the time to think about tattoos. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask your physician or your therapist and they will gladly try to answer your questions and provide you with the necessary information to make your decision.
| 
