Treatment

Tattooless radiotherapy

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What is it for?

To plan radiotherapy treatment

Treatment overview

In the modern era of image-guided radiotherapy, tattoo marks are still is an important step in radiotherapy planning. These marks plays a crucial role during a course of radiotherapy to achieve reproducibility of treatment set-up and accuracy of treatment delivery.

However an accurate and reliable marking is only a gateway for desired radiation delivery. Concerns about tattoos include:

  • Visibility
  • Being permanent in nature
  • Social-religious beliefs
  • Mobility of skin
  • A constant reminder of the diagnosis

At The London Clinic we offer a choice of whether to have the tattoos or not to patients who have been referred for radiotherapy to the breast.

Unlike other areas which like internally, the breast tissue lies externally, so the treatment target can be viewed visually prior to leaving the room and taking an image to verify the set up.

If you are referred for breast radiotherapy, the radiographer will explain the procedure to you and offer you a choice of the number of tattoos or to go tattooless.

View body location
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About Radiotherapy Tattoos

During your radiotherapy planning session, your radiographer might make between one and three permanent pin point tattoo marks on your skin.

These are usually the size of tiny freckles and your therapy radiographers will ask your approval before using a small needle to prick the ink under your skin.

The tattoos act as reference marks, the radiographers use these marks to line you up into the same position every day.

Your radiographer might also draw marks around the tattoos with an ink pen. This highlights the tattoos in a dark room and makes them look like small crosses.

If these marks wash or rub off, there is no need to worry, as the radiographer can re-mark them if required.

Further reading:

Skin markings methods and guidelines: A reality in image guidance radiotherapy era (South Asian Journal of Cancer.)

Why choose The London Clinic

Excellence in one place

The London Clinic, in collaboration with Northwestern Medicine, operate as teams of experts with world-class resources, dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of care. Surrounded by the latest treatments and advice, you’ll have everything you need to get back to your best health. Our patient rooms are designed for your comfort, while our catering team, in collaboration with expert dietitians, provide healthy, delicious meals to support your recovery.

Personal care, every time

Exceptional patient care is a way of life for us. Our teams will be with you every step of the way, tailoring your care to your specific needs and giving you the peace-of-mind that comes with knowing you’re in the best hands. To provide exceptional care, we keep our staff-to-patient ratio low, so our nurses, clinicians, therapists, and support teams can offer a personalised, quality experience. You’ll notice the difference.

Effortlessly simple

We work together as one to guide you through every step of your patient experience. From explaining your personal treatment plan to ensuring all details are taken care of, we make the process stress-free, so you can focus on your health. Whether it’s your first consultation or follow-up care, our teams are here to provide seamless support and the peace of mind you deserve

What's included in your package?

Choosing The London Clinic means your treatment plan will be laid out for you, with all the details taken care of so you can focus on you.

Your treatment package will include:

  • Enhanced pre-admission assessment
  • Your treatment with our complete care team at your fingertips
  • Personalised aftercare and follow-up

We want you to be in control of your health. That’s why we also offer optional services such as comprehensive recovery packages and extra touches for you to choose from during your stay with us. To help you manage the cost, we also offer a 0% finance option, allowing you to spread the payments for your treatment over 12 months with no added interest. Learn more about our finance options here.

How to pay

  • You can use private medical insurance (PMI) to access this treatment. We work with all major PMI providers in the UK and many internationally
  • You can pay for yourself (self-pay)
  • If you’re paying for yourself, we have 0% finance options available with Chrysalis. Find out more here.
     
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