Ardmore Dermatologist Spearheads Effort To Help People With Radiation Tattoos
By Lynne Adkins
ARDMORE, Pa. (CBS) - A loal dermatologist is spearheading a nationwide effort to help people with radiation tattoos get on with their lives.
Cancer patients needing radiation treatment often get small tattoos marking the exact placement for the equipment delivering the treatment. Those marks remain after radiation ends, unless removed by a professional.
Dr. Eric Bernstein, director of the Main Line Center for Laser Surgery, has urged colleagues across the country to remove them for free.
But the patient, he says, will have to provide documentation that the markers are no longer needed for treatment.
"They need a letter from their radiation oncologist stating that the marks can be removed, or which specific marks can be removed. That's an absolute requisite. It's pretty quick; can be as quick as five to ten minutes, as soon as everything's set up."
According to Bernstein, there are usually several markers to remove and could cost a patient hundreds of dollars out-of-pocket if they had to pay for it themselves.