For many cancer patients, radiation therapy has long come with a permanent reminder — small tattoo marks placed on the body to ensure each treatment hits the exact same spot.
Now, a new technology being used at Intermountain Health is helping patients skip those tattoos entirely, making cancer treatment a little more comfortable — both physically and emotionally.
“Historically, most places would use these tattoo marks or permanent marks that go on the body in order to be lining up every single day,” said Dr. Rachel Shenker, an Intermountain Health radiation oncologist.
The system, called AlignRT, uses 3D surface mapping to precisely track a patient’s body in real time. That means the radiation can be targeted with pinpoint accuracy — no permanent ink required.
“There’s a video camera inside the vault, so it’s able to watch the body and the body contours,” Shenker explained. “We are able to, as a whole group, watch this 3D rendering of the body, and if there’s any deviation, we’re able to stop the [treatment]. The machine knows to stop the treatment.”
Patients have welcomed the change.
“Almost every patient asks when they have to get the tattoos, and it’s really great to say we don’t have to do that,” Shenker said. “Just to have a little bit of joy in a pretty stressful situation is nice to be able to give to people.”
Shenker said that for many, worrying about a permanent mark can actually be a hopeful sign.
“When a patient is worried about a permanent tattooed mark, that means they’re thinking about life after cancer,” she said.
“Now that people are doing better than they ever have in terms of their cancer treatments, survivorship is really important in a lot of different ways,” Shenker added. “It’s not just about treating and attempting to cure cancer, but it’s also making sure people live their healthiest lives afterwards — and just eliminating one more thing to worry about is, I think, really great for patients.”
