Are you concerned about the recent headline? Then you should keep reading.
Tattoos may increase the risk of lymphoma, study finds (Just my health)
According to a study, getting a tattoo increases the risk of developing cancer (Canadian National Television).
Dark waters: A study found that tattoos increase the risk of lymphoma by more than 20%.Local12.com)
A shocking study has found that tattoos can increase the risk of cancer by 20%. (Fox News)
Why are scientists investigating a possible connection between lymphoma and tattoos?
According to statistics, approximately 90,000 new cases of lymphoma are identified each year, making it one of the most common forms of cancer. Lymphoma is a type of cancer that develops in the lymphatic systema network of vessels and organs that help protect the body from infection. There are several different types of lymphoma, each with its own characteristics and treatment options.
Risk factors include:
People are getting older.
Specific diseases (such as hepatitis C, HIV, and Epstein-Barr virus).
Exposure to specific substances (like pesticides or benzene, perhaps).
Exposure to radiation (from nuclear reactor accidents or after radiotherapy) and family history of lymphoma.
Having immune system disorders, some immunological diseases (such as celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis or Sjögren's disease).
There is no evidence linking tattoos to the risk factors or causes of lymphoma. Despite this, there are reasons to consider the possibility of a connection.
Several substances included in tattoo ink that is injected under the skin are classified as carcinogenic (cause cancer).
Within a few weeks of getting a tattoo, swollen lymph nodes may contain tattoo ink pigment.
Chemicals present in tattoo ink have the ability to cause skin cells to react, which can then spread to nearby lymph nodes and initiate a systemic immune response.
The effect that pesticides and some lymphomas of this type have on immune cells in the lymph nodes is comparable.
Does lymphoma have a connection to tattoos?
There hasn't been enough research done to determine whether tattoos and lymphoma are linked. There were only two published studies examining the idea, and neither found strong evidence of a connection.
In the first study, 737 people with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the most common type of lymphoma, were compared to a control group of people who were otherwise comparable but did not have cancer. There were no detectable differences in the frequency of tattoos between the two groups, the researchers said.
The study that generated the disturbing headlines mentioned above was published in May 2024 and was larger. It looked at 4,193 people who were comparable but did not have cancer and 1,398 people aged 20 to 60 who had lymphoma. The research found that the prevalence of lymphoma was 21% higher in people with tattoos.
The risk of lymphoma varied according to the time elapsed since tattooing: within two years, the risk was 81% higher; between three and ten years, there was no noticeable increase in risk; and eleven years or more after tattooing, the risk was 19% higher. No association was found between the number or size of tattoos and the risk of lymphoma.
No association was found between the number or status of tattoos and the risk of lymphoma.
Is there anything else you should know about this study?
Importantly, almost none of the variations in lymphoma rates between those with tattoos and those without were statistically significant. This suggests that the purported association between tattoos and lymphoma is questionable and may have been the result of chance. Several additional data on lymphoma refute any correlation between the size or number of tattoos and lymphoma risk.
You might expect tattoos to increase lymphoma rates in the U.S. along with their popularity, but that's not the case.
Finally, associated research such as this one is unable to prove that a tattoo, in this case, is a possible cause of lymphoma. People with tattoos may be more susceptible to other factors (called confounders), risks? Could they explain the increased risk of lymphoma?
Do tattoos pose any additional health risks?
Infections
Cicatrization
Melanoma
Reaction to ink.
In summary
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