Recent headlines suggesting a link between tattoos and cancer are more alarming than they need to be.
By Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Not long ago, a friend texted me from a coffee shop, saying, “I can’t believe it. I’m the only one here without a tattoo!” This isn’t surprising given how widespread tattoos have become. Nearly one-third of adults in the US have a tattoo, according to a Pew Research Center survey, including more than half of women aged 18 to 49. These numbers have risen dramatically over the last 20 years.
If you have a tattoo, some recent headlines might have you worried:
- “Study Finds That Tattoos Can Increase Your Risk of Lymphoma” (OnlyMyHealth)
- “Getting a Tattoo Puts You At Higher Risk of Cancer, Claims Study” (NDTV)
- “Inky Waters: Tattoos Increase Risk of Lymphoma by Over 20%, Study Says” (Local12.com)
- “Shocking Study Reveals Tattoos May Increase Risk of Lymphoma by 20%” (Fox News)
What study are they referring to, and how concerned should you be? Let’s delve into the details. One thing is clear: there’s more to this story than the headlines suggest.
Why Are Researchers Studying a Possible Link Between Tattoos and Lymphoma?
Lymphoma is a type of cancer that starts in the lymphatic system, which consists of a network of vessels and lymph nodes throughout the body. With about 90,000 newly diagnosed cases annually, lymphoma is one of the most common cancers.
Risk factors for lymphoma include:
- Advancing age
- Certain infections (such as Epstein-Barr virus, HIV, and hepatitis C)
- Exposure to certain chemicals (such as benzene or possibly pesticides)
- Family history of lymphoma
- Exposure to radiation (such as nuclear reactor accidents or after radiation therapy)
- Having an impaired immune system
- Certain immune diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s disease, or celiac disease)
Tattoos are not known to be a cause or risk factor for lymphoma. However, there are reasons to wonder if there might be a connection:
- Ink injected under the skin to create a tattoo contains several chemicals classified as carcinogenic (cancer-causing).
- Pigment from tattoo ink can be found in enlarged lymph nodes within weeks of getting a tattoo.
- Immune cells in the skin can react to the chemicals in tattoo ink and travel to nearby lymph nodes, triggering a body-wide immune reaction.
- Other triggers of lymphoma, such as pesticides, have a similar effect on immune cells in lymph nodes.
Is There a Connection Between Tattoos and Lymphoma?
Any potential connection between tattoos and lymphoma has not been well studied. I found only two published studies exploring this possibility, and neither found compelling evidence of a link.
The first study compared 737 people with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma to people without lymphoma. The researchers found no significant difference in the frequency of tattoos between the two groups.
A larger study published in May 2024 — the one that sparked the alarming headlines — compared 1,398 people aged 20 to 60 with lymphoma to 4,193 people without lymphoma but otherwise similar. The study found that:
- Lymphoma was 21% more common among those with tattoos.
- Lymphoma risk varied depending on how much time had passed since getting the tattoo:
- Within two years, lymphoma risk was 81% higher.
- Between three and 10 years, no definite increased lymphoma risk was detected.
- Eleven or more years after getting a tattoo, lymphoma risk was 19% higher.
- There was no correlation between the size or number of tattoos and lymphoma risk.
What Else Did the Researchers Learn?
Importantly, nearly all the differences in lymphoma rates between people with and without tattoos were not statistically significant. This makes the reported link between tattoos and lymphoma questionable and possibly due to chance. Additionally, if tattoos significantly increased lymphoma risk, we would expect rising lymphoma rates in the US alongside the popularity of tattoos, but that’s not the case.
Finally, a study like this (called an association study) cannot prove that tattoos cause lymphoma. Other factors, known as confounders, may be more common among people with tattoos and could account for the higher lymphoma risk.
Do Tattoos Come with Other Health Risks?
While complication rates from reputable and certified tattooists are low, tattoos do carry some health risks:
- Infection, including bacterial skin infections or viral hepatitis
- Allergic reactions to the ink
- Scarring
- Rarely, skin cancer (melanoma and other types of skin cancer)
The Bottom Line
Despite headlines suggesting a link between tattoos and lymphoma, there is no convincing evidence supporting this claim. More research is needed to make any definitive conclusions. In the meantime, the best approach is to stay informed and consult with healthcare professionals if you have concerns.