Study shows tattoos may raise risk of cancer

A recent study by experts from Lund University in Sweden has suggested a potential link between tattoos — regardless of size — and cancer.

There has been a global rise in the popularity of tattoos in recent times more than they were a couple of decades ago. Tattoos are now considered more socially acceptable, with several people wearing them, especially in the entertainment space.

But in the study — published in eClinicalMedicine — researchers found a 21% increased risk of lymphoma in tattooed individuals compared to those without tattoos.

Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, a network crucial to the immune system that fights infection.

The research states that the concern lies with potentially carcinogenic chemicals in some tattoo inks. When injected, the body perceives them as foreign, triggering a low-grade inflammation that might contribute to cancer development.

The study included 11,905 people — 2,938 of whom had lymphoma and were between ages 20 and 60.

They were then given a questionnaire about lifestyle factors to see if they were tattooed or not. 1,398 participants answered the questionnaire, while the number of people in the control group was 4,193.

In the group with lymphoma, 21 percent were tattooed (289 individuals), while 18 percent were tattooed in the control group without a lymphoma diagnosis (735 individuals).

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“After taking into account other relevant factors, such as smoking and age, we found that the risk of developing lymphoma was 21 percent higher among those who were tattooed,” said Christel Nielsen, the researcher who led the study.

“It is important to remember that lymphoma is a rare disease and that our results apply at the group level. The results now need to be verified and investigated further in other studies and such research is ongoing.”

The study found no connection between tattoo size and cancer risk.

“We do not yet know why this was the case. One can only speculate that a tattoo, regardless of size, triggers a low-grade inflammation in the body, which in turn can trigger cancer. The picture is thus more complex than we initially thought,” Nielsen said.

The researchers said they will now examine whether or not there is a link between tattoos and other forms of cancer and inflammatory diseases.

“People will likely want to continue to express their identity through tattoos, and therefore it is very important that we as a society can make sure that it is safe,” he added.

“For the individual, it is good to know that tattoos can affect your health, and that you should turn to your health care provider if you experience symptoms that you believe could be related to your tattoo.”