Louisiana woman goes in for cancer treatment, then techs tell her to keep the stickers on for the next appointment: ‘I don’t come back for two months’

Navigating a cancer diagnosis is intense enough on its own, but sometimes it is the smaller, day-to-day logistical hurdles that really catch you off guard. Louisiana’s Rylie Kuyper, who has been documenting her health journey on TikTok, recently shared a moment of confusion regarding the marking system for her upcoming radiation therapy.

In her post, Kuyper explained that she had visited MD Anderson to prep for her upcoming radiation treatment. While there, she had her first encounter with the commonly used marking system. As she put it, “So while I was at MD Anderson, I was getting all my scans for, like, my radiation, which is at the end of August. Um, and they’re, like, drawing on me with this, like, Sharpie, and they’re, like, sticking stuff on it. And they’re like, yeah, just leave this on.”

Kuyper was understandably surprised by the instruction to leave stickers on her body. “And I’m like, leave it on? What do you mean, like, leave it on? And they’re like, yeah, just, like, leave it on.” Then she noted, “ Like, I don’t come back for two months. And they’re like, yeah, we’ve seen these stickers last up to a month. Um, and they gave me a Sharpie. They literally handed me a bag with a Sharpie and some stickers in it, though you can, like, redraw it.”

Then came the hygiene and appearance concerns

Kuyper pointed out, “It’s only been a couple days, and they’re, like, collecting lint on the side. I’m like, I’m kind of just want to take them off.” She pointed out that they had already tattooed some marks on her, pointing out to dots on her chest. The staff told her that she could remove it them, we’ll re-mark you, but it will just take a bit, and, like, we won’t get the exact marks.“

She was extremely thrown off, stating that she didn’t want “purple drawings all over me for two months.” Also, she didn’t see a reason to keep them on since the staff admitted that “a bit” meant “they said it would take, like 10 minutes to redo once I go back.”

The comments section of her post quickly filled up with advice from others who have gone through similar experiences. There was the team that was for the marks. One TikToker sent support, noting, “Can confirm they last for over a month. You got this queen!” Another user also recommended keeping the marks, saying, “First time I feel is always more accurate”

Then there was the contingent who backed her on removing the stickers. A radiation therapist wrote in, “just take them off, it won’t be hard for them to set you back up when you go back. two months is crazy.” Another user echoed that sentiment, “Ummm an extra 10 min of the next appointment is worth just taking it off.” Another patient reported in, stating, ”I’ve had radiation twice in 3 different areas. They did the same to me, I just ripped them off in the shower and had them remark me.”

The medical reasons for the marks

This tension between clinical accuracy and patient comfort is a well-known challenge in oncology. According to a blog post by Beek Speak, a site by Beekley Medical, the industry is constantly trying to evolve how it handles these set-up marks. Traditionally, permanent tattoos were the gold standard because they provide consistent, long-term references. However, they aren’t perfect. 

As Beek Speak notes, “Small tattoo marks can be difficult to locate, sometimes adding minutes to each setup, especially for patients with darker skin tones, freckles, or body hair.” Furthermore, not every patient wants a permanent reminder of their treatment.

This leads to the use of temporary marks, which, as Kuyper discovered, come with their own set of drawbacks. They can fade, wash off, or become uncomfortable, especially when dressings are applied to keep them in place. 

The Beekley team noted that the industry is currently looking at semi-permanent solutions like InkRight, which are designed to last longer than traditional temporary marks without the permanence of a tattoo. These options aim to reduce the need for constant reapplication and improve the overall patient experience. Ultimately, it is clear that while precision is the priority for medical teams, the patient experience matters just as much. 

Many people share their cancer stories over social media. In some cases, they provide needed advice, like Full House’s Dave Coulier’s note to “listen to your body.” In others, like Olivia Munn sharing Shannen Doherty’s advice, they provide support. Even smaller posts like Kuyper’s normalize the little challenges along the way, and together they all form a stronger community.