Marks visible only under ultraviolet light can be used instead of the permanent tattoos needed as markers during radiation therapy, according to the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) conference in Liverpool.
The tattoos made with dark ink allow you to illuminate exactly the area of the body you are looking for during each session. However, such a tattoo, related to, for example, the treatment of breast cancer, is an unpleasant and disfiguring memento (about half of cancer patients treated in the UK survive 10 years or more from the time of diagnosis). In addition, in patients with dark skin color, the usual tattoo is difficult to see, which can reduce the quality of the treatment.
British specialists from The Royal Marsden Hospital in London suggest tattooing with fluorescent pigments that remain invisible under ordinary lighting, but glow when exposed to ultraviolet light. Half of the 42 patients undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer were offered fluorescent tattoos, while the remainder had plain dark tattoos.
Before the treatment and one month after it, the patients were asked about their feelings related to their own body. In the conventionally tattooed group, only 14% of people perceived their body after the therapy as more attractive. of the respondents, while women tattooed with glowing pigment had a better opinion about their body in 56 percent. cases. In addition, glowing tattoos significantly facilitated the proper exposure of the tumors in women with dark skin. (PAP)