A new study has revealed that people with tattoos are at higher risk of developing lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. The study, conducted by Swedish scientists revealed that people with tattoos have a 21 percent higher risk of getting cancer.
“It is important to remember that lymphoma is a rare disease and that our results apply at the group level,” Lund University researcher Christel Nielsen, who led the study, said in a statement last week. “The results now need to be verified and investigated further in other studies, and such research is ongoing.”
According to the scientists, the risk linked with tattoo exposure appears to be highest for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. This is a fast-growing curable cancer that starts in white blood cells and follicular lymphoma which is a slow-growing incurable cancer.
The findings of the study were published in eClinicalMedicine journal.
“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,” Nielsen explained. “A large part of the ink is transported away from the skin, to the lymph nodes where it is deposited.”
According to Nielsen, a tattoo triggers a low-grade inflammation in the body, which in turn can trigger cancer.
Now the researchers are planning to look for links between tattoos and other types of cancer as well as other inflammatory diseases.
Last year, a study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting found a potential association between having several large tattoos and the risk of blood cancers. The risk was particularly strong for people who were tattooed at a young age, they found.
The team emphasises that it is important to know that tattoos can affect your health
Rohit Malhotra is a medical expert and health journalist who offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being. His articles aim to help readers lead healthier lives.
