People with tattoos at higher risk of developing rare form of cancer, study finds

Tattoos have become increasingly popular over the last decade.

According to an Ipsos poll, the percentage of Americans sporting tattoos rose from 21% in 2012 to 30% in 2019. By 2023, this figure had increased to 32%, as reported by the Pew Research Center.

Companies such as UPS, Disney and even the U. S. Army are becoming more lenient with their tattoo restrictions, allowing employees to display their body art at work.

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Despite the growing social acceptance of tattoos, they do come with certain health risks. A recent study conducted by Lund University in Sweden discovered that individuals with tattoos are at a higher risk of developing a type of blood cancer known as lymphoma.

The researchers hypothesised that tattoos could cause low-grade inflammation, which can potentially lead to cancer.

Christel Nielsen, the lead researcher of the study, stated: "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."

"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 comprehensive study analysed 11,905 individuals. There were 2,938 in the group that had lymphoma between the ages of 20 and 60 years old.

Of that number, 1,398 responded to a questionnaire about their lifestyle.

In the research, 4,193 individuals without the illness made up the control group. The scientists discovered that 21% of the lymphoma group had tattoos, compared to only 18% in the control group.

Initial speculation by the team suggested that the size of a tattoo could influence one's chances of developing lymphoma, however, there is no concrete evidence to back this claim. The timing of getting a first tattoo also remains under scrutiny.

"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."

Promising further examination, the group vows to uncover additional insight into diseases linked to inking the skin.