If you are thinking about getting a tattoo soon, it is essential that you are aware of the findings of this important study conducted by a research team at Lund University, Sweden.
The findings shed light on a potential health risk associated with tattoos. The study found that people with tattoos have a 21 percent chance of having lymphoma cancer.
Lymphoma is the sixth most common type of cancer overall. It develops in the lymphatic system (an extensive drainage network that helps keep body fluid levels in balance and defends the body against infection) when white blood cells mutate and multiply uncontrollably.
The findings were published May 21 in eClinicalMedicine, an open-access clinical journal.
Before reaching their conclusions, the researchers analyzed 11,905 participants to explore whether tattoos could affect the risk of developing lymphoma.
Researchers say the cause of skin cancer was linked to carcinogenic chemicals in tattoo ink.
When the ink is injected into the skin, the body interprets it as foreign. Thus, the immune system reacts by causing low-grade inflammation that can lead to cancer.
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The study included 11,905 Swedes, 2,938 of whom had lymphoma between 20 and 60 years of age (“cases”).
Of those participants, 54 percent responded to the tattoo questionnaire; 47 percent of controls (those without lymphoma) did the same. The prevalence of tattoos was 21 percent among cases and 18 percent among controls.
“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, lead researcher at Lund University, Sweden. . “The results need to be verified and investigated further in other studies, and such research is ongoing.”
Because of this, the team expected that those with larger tattoos would have a higher risk of lymphoma than those with smaller tattoos because their bodies have more ink to respond to.
However, size didn’t matter.
This study has limitations and more research is needed to fully understand the relationship between tattoos and lymphoma.
Tattoo ink and cancer.
Over the years, scientists have noted that a tattoo alone is unlikely to cause skin cancer. Still, it is essential to be aware of the potential risks associated with certain tattoo ink ingredients.
For example, different colors are created with variations in pigment and dilution, and some contain materials that may be considered carcinogenic, meaning they can potentially cause cancer. This is a key factor in the possible link between tattoos and lymphoma.
Some tattoo inks contain azo, which is also used in automotive paints. Red ink has also been studied for decades, with previous research indicating an increased risk of liver cancer in rats exposed to red azo pigments.
Black inks are also considered higher risk. Cancerorg,au reported that a reliable Australian government source found that 83% of the black inks tested contained polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a carcinogen.