(Photo by cottonbro from Pexels)
LUND, Sweden — Tattoos have exploded in popularity over the last few decades, with around a third of Americans now sporting at least one permanent ink design. However, a major new study suggests this wildly popular form of body art could come with a serious health risk — an increased likelihood of developing malignant lymphoma, a potentially deadly blood cancer.
The findings, in a nutshell
Publishing their work in the journal EClinicalMedicine, Swedish researchers found that people with tattoos had a 21% higher risk of being diagnosed with lymphoma compared to those without any ink. The link was particularly strong for two of the most common lymphoma subtypes - diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma.
“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,” says study leader Christel Nielsen, a researcher at Lund University, in a media release.
Methodology
To investigate whether tattoo exposure is tied to lymphoma risk, the researchers used population registries in Sweden covering everyone in the country. They identified all newly diagnosed cases of malignant lymphoma in Swedes between 20 and 60 years of age from 2007-2017. For each of those nearly 1,400 lymphoma cases, they randomly selected three cancer-free individuals matched for age and sex from the population.
The key was that in 2021, all of those lymphoma cases and matched cancer-free controls were surveyed about their tattoo history and characteristics. Out of over 11,900 individuals surveyed, 54% of lymphoma patients and 47% of cancer-free controls responded.
Among the respondents, 21% of lymphoma cases reported having a tattoo compared to 18% of controls - a small but significant difference that raised a red flag.
Study Results
The study found some particularly striking trends when the researchers dug deeper into the data:
- People who had gotten their first tattoo less than two years before their lymphoma diagnosis had an 81% higher risk of blood cancer compared to the non-tattooed.
- Those who got their first ink 11 or more years before being diagnosed also had an elevated 19% higher lymphoma risk.
- Undergoing laser tattoo removal appeared to substantially increase lymphoma risk by nearly three times, though this was based on small numbers.
- There was no evidence that having a larger tattooed area translated into higher lymphoma risk, which went against expectations.
Study Limitations
- Since it was observational, the study cannot prove that tattoos directly cause lymphoma - only that there appears to be a link that needs further investigation.
- Survey response rates of around 50% raise questions about whether respondents were fully representative of all lymphoma cases and the general population.
- As the first major epidemiological study on this topic, its findings need to be replicated by other well-designed studies before firm conclusions can be drawn.
Takeaways
So, how could something as seemingly innocuous as decorative tattoos increase somebody's risk of developing a serious blood cancer? The researchers point to the fact that many tattoo inks contain carcinogenic chemicals like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aromatic amines, and metals.
During the tattooing process, these compounds get injected into the skin and immune system cells transport them to the lymph nodes - where lymphoma arises. Study authors note there is evidence these nanoparticles can persist and accumulate long-term in the lymph nodes, potentially driving cancer development through DNA damage and chronic inflammation over many years.
“We already know that when the tattoo ink is injected into the skin, the body interprets this as something foreign that should not be there and the immune system is activated. A large part of the ink is transported away from the skin, to the lymph nodes where it is deposited,” adds Nielsen.
While the mechanisms make biological sense, other cancer experts emphasize that the absolute risk from tattoos still appears low for any individual based on the findings. The study suggests roughly one to two extra lymphoma cases per 100 tattooed people compared to non-tattooed people.
“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. 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,” concludes Nielsen.
EdNews Editor Chris Melore contributed to this report.
