Dr. Ramez Eskander was stunned. A woman he was treating looked as though her cancer was spreading to her lymph nodes. When doctors conducted a PET scan the area began to light up, which typically signals the cancer has spread.
However, what they realized was that over time, ink from the tattoos that covered her legs, was absorbed into her lymph nodes. It was a false alarm.
Dr. Eskander believes this is important for doctors and patients to know so that they can detect false positives.
"What we wanted to do is educate physicians, patients, families," he said. "When there is a PET scan that shows a bright lymph node, if a patient has significant tattoos or body art, then you have to be cognizant that these might be false positives."
While the woman in this case still underwent a hysterectomy to treat her cervical cancer, she avoided undergoing radiation when the false positive was detected. Dr. Eskander says the woman still does not regret her tattoos.
Moreover, tattoos aren't harmful, they should just be considered when treating cancer patients.
It is still unknown how much ink is required for a misdiagnosis but it should always be considered.
Do you have any tattoos? Let us know in the comments!
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