GETTING tattoos - however large or small - could up your risk of developing cancer by 21 per cent, a study suggests. A Swedish study found a link between tattoos and cancer of the lymphatic system, also known as lymphoma . Researchers from Lund University stressed they're not trying to dissuade people from getting inked and said further research is needed to confirm their results.
But they said that not much is currently known about the long-term health effects of tattoos , with little research in the area despite the popularity of permanent body art surging in recent decades. Lead author Christel Nielsen said: “We already know that when the tattoo ink is injected into the skin, the body interprets this as something foreign that should not be there and the immune system is activated. "A large part of the ink is transported away from the skin, to the lymph nodes where it is deposited.
" Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that affects the immune system - specifically white blood cells called lymphocytes, according to Blood Cancer UK . There are two main types of lymphatic cancer – Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Over 14,000 people are diagnosed with lymphoma each year in the UK, making it the most common blood cancer.
Lund University researchers looked at the link between tattoos and lymphoma, finding that people sporting ink have a 21 per cent increased chance of developing it. They relied on Swedish National Authority registries, which identify every individual .
