The permanent tattoos, typically small black dots, are used to align radiation equipment and ensure accurate targeting of treatment beams. These tattoos can be necessary for patients undergoing treatment for prostate, head and neck, lung, and breast cancers.
Simone Barclay, a breast cancer survivor who underwent a double mastectomy and has been cancer-free for five years, is now seeking to remove a radiation tattoo on her chest. She reported that the tattoo has stretched and changed color, but her health insurance does not cover its removal. “It’s sort of gone from black to green, and it has gotten bigger,” she said. “It definitely no longer just looks like a freckle.”
Barclay is not alone in her experience. Natalie James, lead nurse at the Breast Cancer Foundation, shared with 1News that the organization is aware of cases where individuals who have undergone radiation treatment express a desire to have their tattoos removed in the years following their breast cancer treatment.
Mike Anderson, chief executive of Think Again Laser Clinic, noted that while there are government-funded tattoo removal programs, it seems logical to include radiation tattoo removal in the funding. His clinic, among several in New Zealand, provides radiation tattoo removals to cancer patients free of charge. “We know that the cancer treatment journey is both an incredibly stressful and physically exhausting time for thousands of Kiwis each year,” he stated.
In response to the issue, Health Minister Dr. Shane Reti mentioned he is “currently seeking advice from Health NZ on the removal of radiation therapy tattoos within the public health system.” He added that as treatment technologies and techniques advance, the need for radiation therapy tattoos may diminish. For instance, he noted that some hospitals now use UV tattoos, which are only visible under UV light.
Anderson emphasized that laser removal treatments can be costly. “The way tattoo removal works is that we work in layers, which means patients need to return multiple times,” he explained. “Most clinics have a starting price of $90, and if you need to return up to 10 times, it could cost around $1,000.”
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