eClinicalMedicine: Tattoos increase chance of lymphoma by 21%, study finds

Researchers from Lund University, Sweden, have discovered a link between tattoos and the risk of developing lymphoma. Their respective research was published in the scientific journal eClinicalMedicine.

Lymphoma is an oncological disease in which the lymphatic tissue becomes the source of malignant tumor growth.

The aforesaid team of researchers studied the data of all patients aged 20-60 in Sweden who underwent a medical examination between 2007 and 2017.

Based on that information, the specialists selected 5,591 people who participated in a survey about their lives, having tattoos, as well as the circumstances in which they were done.

As the study showed, people with tattoos had a 21 percent higher risk of developing lymphoma than those who did not have tattoos made by needle and ink.

The study took also into account such factors as smoking and level of education.

The scientists emphasized that lymphoma remains a very rare disease. In Sweden, as of 2022, it was diagnosed in only 22 people out of 100,000.

The researchers added that neither the size of the tattoo nor the age affects the probability of developing an oncological disease. According to experts, the link between tattoos and lymphoma can be explained by the penetration of paint particles into the body's lymphatic system.

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