Abstract P6-12-19: Healing art: Breast cancer survivor experiences with nipple-areola tattoo procedures during breast reconstruction
Authors: Napoles TM , Guerra C , Orenstein F , Luce JA , Merritt S , Burke NJ 
Published: February 2018

Background: Nipple-areola tattoos can provide restoration of a natural looking breast that more closely resembles its pre-surgical appearance while avoiding additional surgeries. To date, the majority of nipple-areola tattoo procedures are performed by healthcare providers with minimal training in tattoo procedures. Substandard results explain the high rates of dissatisfaction among women who receive nipple-areola tattoos. In response, professional tattoo artists have emerged as an alternative provider for women seeking reconstruction. However, few studies have examined expectations and experiences of women undergoing nipple-areola tattoo procedures provided by a professional tattoo artist outside of the traditional healthcare setting. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with a racially/ethnically diverse group of 30 women who had undergone nipple-areola tattooing in the past 0-2 years. Interviews were conducted in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic, recorded, and translated and transcribed into English for analysis. A team of three researchers conducted iterative reviews of the data which included closely reading each transcript, coding, running queries of codes, and developing summary documents to highlight recurrent concepts and patterns which were shared and discussed in group meetings. Results: Interview narratives addressed the often unexpected impact nipple-areola tattooing had on body image, self-esteem, emotional well-being, and interpersonal relationships. Women described their decision-making processes as weighing concern about the needle, the pain, and uncertainty about the tattoo artist, setting for the procedure, and outcome with the opportunity to return to a more “normal” appearance without further surgeries. Women discussed how their initial preconceptions of tattoos and tattoo parlors were ameliorated by the spa-like setting and the tattoo artist's anticipation of such concerns which enhanced her ability to put them at ease and provide professional and compassionate care. Participants noted the integral role the tattoo artist played in their positive experiences, describing her as both an “artist” and “caregiver.” The manner in which she guided them through the decision-making process regarding the color, size, shape, and placement of their nipple-areola tattoo was noted as particularly significant and empowering. Conclusions: Nipple-areola tattooing is an acceptable and meaningful reconstruction process for medically underserved public hospital patients. Our results indicate that women should be informed of nipple-areola tattooing as an alternative to more invasive, surgical reconstruction options. Results also illustrate how the healthcare system can extend beyond the traditional healthcare setting to include and leverage non-clinical and non-traditional specialists to provide appropriate care and positive breast health outcomes for women. In order to increase access and legitimacy to these services, additional research is needed to understand how to bring tattoo artists “in-house” (i.e., into the medical setting) and how to incorporate tattoo artists into breast health teams.

Citation Format: Napoles TM, Guerra C, Orenstein F, Luce JA, Merritt S, Burke NJ. Healing art: Breast cancer survivor experiences with nipple-areola tattoo procedures during breast reconstruction [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-12-19.