Do tattoos cause skin cancer? New research suggests possible link

Berlin (dpa) – People who get tattoos could be increasing their risk of skin cancer, according to a team of epidemiologists and toxicologists warning about the risk factor for melanoma. Researchers at Sweden's Lund University surveyed almost 3,000 people who had been diagnosed with the disease and around 8,500 cancer-free counterparts. "Of the participants who had melanoma, 22% were tattooed, compared with 20% in the control group. But when we took lifestyle factors that might distort the association into account, we saw a 29% increased relative risk among tattooed individuals," said Lund's Emelie Rietz Liljedahl. The findings – which were controlled for factors including sun exposure, sun bed use and skin type – led the researchers to conclude that "tattoos may be a risk factor for cutaneous melanoma (CM)." Published in the European Journal of Epidemiology in November, the research is the latest in a growing body of studies looking to shed light on long-suspected links between tattoos and skin cancer. "The results need to be verified in additional epidemiologic studies before causality can be inferred," the team added, explaining that they carried out the research due to the coincidence of a sharp rise in "the incidence of cutaneous melanoma" with the "rapidly growing tattoo trend." "Repeated reports of the presence of carcinogenic chemicals, such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons, aromatic amines and heavy metals in tattoo ink justifies the investigation of CM risk in relation to tattooing," they said. "When tattoo ink is injected into the skin, the body perceives it as a foreign substance, which means the immune system is activated," the team explained, warning that some of the colourants can break down into "harmful chemicals that may cause cancer" – particularly if the person goes sunbathing after getting tattooed. "We therefore need to clarify if there is a link between tattoo ink and skin cancer," said Christel Nielsen, associate professor and researcher in epidemiology at Lund. The following information is not intended for publication dpa spr coh

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