The ability to remove tattoo ink safely, efficiently and with minimal side effects has improved significantly in the past decade. With the introduction of quality switched (Q-switched or QS) lasers, older, unsafe techniques have all but fallen by the wayside. That said, many practitioners are still unclear as to the standards that should be used when implementing a tattoo removal protocol, even...

From the Department of Medicine (F.A.C., M.H.C.), the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics (F.A.C., M.H.C., J.D.L.), the Pritzker School of Medicine (R.E.L.), and the Department of Pediatrics (J.D.L.), University of Chicago, Chicago. Address reprint requests to Dr. Curlin at the University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC 2007, Chicago, IL 60637, or at fcurlin@ medicine.bsd.uchicago....

INTRODUCTION Globally, cancer is diagnosed in approximately 13 million people each year. Approximately 1.6 million cancer patients are seen by cancer clinics across the United States (US) at this time. Over the next two decades, cancer incidence is estimated to increase by approximately 45% to 2.3 million (1). In the US, the 5-year relative survival rate of patients diagnosed with cancer in 197...