New Study Links Tattoos to Increased Risk of Rare Cancer: What You Need to Know

Remorse was long thought to be the worst consequence of getting inked. There may be more significant health risks connected to tattoos, according to a recent study from #Sweden's Lund University.

#Tattoos are a popular way to express identity or celebrate milestones, but we still know little about their long-term health effects. In Europe, there has been growing concern over the hazardous chemicals in tattoo #ink. Research have additionally demonstrated that the ink injected into the skin is not permanent and may find its way into the lymph nodes during the body's removal process. Up until today, it has been unknown how tattoo ink affects the lymphatic system and overall health.

A team of researchers at Lund University under the direction of Associate Professor Christel Nielsen carried out a sizable investigation to find out if getting a tattoo would raise your risk of developing malignant #lymphoma, a rare cancer that affects lymphocytes, or white blood cells. Their findings were recently published in the journal eClinicalMedicine.

Sweden, where over one in five people have tattoos, provided an ideal setting for the study. The country’s comprehensive National Cancer Register includes everyone diagnosed with cancer. The study analyzed data from individuals aged 20 to 60 who were diagnosed with lymphoma between 2007 and 2017. For each lymphoma patient, three people of the same age and sex without lymphoma were selected as controls.

Participants answered a questionnaire about lifestyle factors, including tattoo details such as size, age at first tattoo, and colors used. The study included 5,591 people (1,398 with lymphoma and 4,193 controls). Results showed that those with tattoos had a 21% higher risk of developing lymphoma than those without tattoos, even after accounting for smoking and education level.

Despite these findings, it’s important to remember that lymphoma is very rare. According to Sweden's National Board of Health and Welfare, only 22 out of 100,000 people aged 20 to 60 were diagnosed with lymphoma in 2022.

Interestingly, the size of the tattoos did not affect the risk. However, the time since getting a tattoo did: the risk was higher for those with tattoos less than two years old or more than ten years old.

Given these findings, it's too early to make specific recommendations about tattoos. More research is needed to understand the health implications fully. For now, people with tattoos should be aware of potential health risks and seek medical advice if they experience any related symptoms.

Tattoos are likely here to stay, so it's crucial to ensure that getting tattooed is as safe as possible. Further studies are already underway at Lund University to explore the potential links between tattoos and skin cancer, as well as other immune-system-related conditions like thyroid disease and sarcoidosis.

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Reference: ARTICLES| VOLUME 72, 102649, JUNE 2024. Tattoos as a risk factor for malignant lymphoma: a population-based case–control study: By Christel Nielsen,  Mats Jerkeman, Anna Saxne Jöud. Published:May 21, 2024DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102649.