A new study from Sweden suggests that individuals with tattoos have a higher risk of developing lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. The research indicates that getting a tattoo could increase the risk of cancer in the lymphatic system by 21 percent. However, the researchers emphasized the need for further investigation.
The study analyzed data from 11,905 people, of whom 2,938 had lymphoma between the ages of 20 and 60. Participants answered a questionnaire about lifestyle factors. In a control group of 4,193 people, 21 percent (289 individuals) had tattoos, compared to 18 percent (735 individuals) in a control group without a lymphoma diagnosis.
Lund University researcher Christel Nielsen, who led the study, explained, “When tattoo ink is injected into the skin, the body sees it as foreign and activates the immune system. Much of the ink is then transported to the lymph nodes.”
The study found that the risk was highest for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, a fast-growing but treatable cancer, and follicular lymphoma, a slower-growing but incurable cancer.
Nielsen noted, “Lymphoma is a rare disease, and our results apply at the group level. Further verification and investigation in other studies are necessary, and such research is ongoing.”
Initially, scientists speculated that the size of a tattoo might affect lymphoma risk, but they later dismissed this as mere speculation.