Could having tattoos be linked with cancer? Lymphoma expert says it's not that simple

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Regret may be the biggest side effect people have when they get tattoos, but a recent study about a potential connection between tattoos and a form of cancer has many people talking.

Tattoos are art and a unique way of expressing oneself. But scientists know little about their long-term health effects. Now, Swedish researchers from Lund University are looking to connect the dots. They gathered data from 12,000 people between 20 and 60 from 2007 to 2017 to see if having a tattoo appears to increase one's risk for an aggressive form of lymphoma.

"Their assessment is they feel there is an increased risk of about 20% risk compared to people that don't have tattoos," said Dr. Erwin Grussie, a leading lymphoma expert at Providence St. Joseph's Medical Center.

He said the theory is that somehow tattoo ink enters into the body's lymphatic system. But that does not mean tattoo ink necessarily causes cancer. Grussie said the findings are only an association and do not prove cause and effect.

"I don't believe that anybody who has a tattoo should freak out right now. I don't think it means somebody who has a tattoo will develop lymphoma. We should wait for more data," he said.

One interesting point was that it didn't seem to matter how many tattoos a person had.

"One tattoo seemed to carry the same risk as multiple tattoos," said Grussie.

Time rather than quantity seemed to make more of a difference. The risk appeared to be higher for newer ones, done within two years than for older tattoos, received more than a decade ago.

Grussie said more research is needed to prove causation and to see if lifestyle factors such as smoking played a role in these findings. But in the meantime, he said be aware that this is something researchers are looking at.

"Maybe be aware that there are a few questions that haven't been answered yet, but it doesn't mean somebody who has a tattoo will get some form of cancer," he said.

Grussie said the risk of getting an aggressive form of lymphoma is quite rare, and it's not appropriate to give any tattoo recommendations based on this single study.