In my lifetime, tattoos have become mainstream. It used to be that only bikers or people with certain lifestyles would get tattoos, But that has dramatically changed over the decades. Now, around a third of Americans have a tattoo. Whether you are at the grocery store, a sports event or even in church, tattoos abound. And whether you have a tattoo or not, you may be surprised to learn of a new study related to tattoos and cancer risk.

A large study of 11,905 people was conducted at Lund University in Sweden. Tattoos have become quite popular in Sweden with a rate of over 20% of people adding ink to their skin. But little research has been done on the long-term health impact of tattoos.

Researchers looked at cases of malignant lymphoma, a type of blood cancer that begins in white blood cells, in Swedish adults (aged 20-60 years) in the Swedish National Cancer Register between 2007 and 2017. The  study compared incidence rate ratios of malignant lymphoma in tattooed vs nontattooed individuals.

Results of the study indicated tattooed participants had a 21% higher risk for overall lymphoma than non-tattooed participants (incidence rate ratio = 1.21; 95% CI, 0.99-1.48). And the size of the tattoo had little effect on the risk.

Here is the thinking: The ink used in many tattoos often contains carcinogens. Not all chemicals are regulated. When those are applied to the skin, an immunological response occurs which can trigger cancer. So this may explain why the size of the tattoo doesn’t matter. Over time, the ink injected deep into the skin can migrate to the lymphatic system and lymph nodes potentially impacting health.

Now keep in mind. This is not a causation study, meaning it is not saying tattoos cause cancer. But it did find an association with tattoo ink and an increased risk of lymphoma. Research like this is a first step to assess the long term health risk of getting a tattoo which would be helpful to know if you are considering a tattoo.