Tattoos have become very popular in France. Nearly one in five French people have a tattoo, twice as many as in the early 2010s. The prevalence is 20% in Europe, according to the recent TABOO study of 2023. 32% of Americans have one, and even 22% have several (56% of women between 18 and 29 years old).
Most people get their first tattoo at a young age. However, tattoo ink and its constituents persist in the body for many decades, primarily in the lymph nodes.
Researchers, based on a large database of people who have developed lymphoma, have highlighted a link between tattoos and an increased risk of this form of lymph node cancer.
Lymphoma is a malignant disease characterized by the excessive proliferation of B or T lymphocytes in the lymphatic system and its organs, such as the lymph nodes, liver and spleen.
Tattoo ink can stain lymph nodes
The fact that some of the ink passes into the lymph nodes is well known, but not explored.
« In tattooed individuals, the lymph nodes in the drainage area of the tattoo show coloration, similar to that of the axillary lymph nodes in cases of tattooing on the arm or shoulder.explains Dr Nicolas Kluger, dermatologist at Bichat Hospital (Paris). Pigments migrate to the lymph nodes. Certain immune cells (macrophages) absorb the pigments present in the skin and transport them to the lymph nodes. »
21% higher risk of lymphoma in tattooed people
« Until thenhe continues, No increased risk of lymphomas was found in tattooed people. » Swedish researchers have conducted a so-called case-control study that has just been published. This is an analysis that compares a group of people with a disease (the cases) to a group of people without the disease (the controls), in order to identify risk factors associated with the disease.
In this case, they compared individuals in a control group to all individuals aged 20 to 60 who were diagnosed with malignant lymphoma in Sweden between 2007 and 2017, i.e. almost 11,905 people (registers of the Swedish National Authority).
The authors commented on their results: “ We found that tattooed individuals had a 21% higher risk of overall malignant lymphoma than non-tattooed individuals, and the association was stronger for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma. »
The risk is increased when the tattoo is less than 2 years old at the time of lymphoma diagnosis (+81%) and more than 11 years old (+19%). No link emerges with the body surface covered by the tattoo, or its color.
So, are tattoos a risk factor for malignant lymphoma?
Not so fast. The researchers explain: “ Tattoo ink often contains carcinogenic chemicals, such as primary aromatic amines (in colored inks), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (black inks), and metals (nickel, cobalt, etc.). The tattooing process triggers an immunological response that causes the tattoo ink to translocate from the injection site. »
However, nothing has yet been proven regarding the link with lymphomas. Case-control studies are particularly useful for identifying new risk factors.
But to assert a causal link, this is not enough. Our results suggest that exposure to tattooing is associated with an increased risk of malignant lymphomathe authors write. Further epidemiological research is urgently needed to establish causality.. »
Already, the study highlights the importance of regulatory measures to control the chemical composition of tattoo ink.
