Tattoo ink exposure is associated with lymphoma and skin cancers

The study's conclusion that tattoo ink causes cancer fails to convince due to major methodological flaws. The sample sizes for the most important analyses (matched twin pairs) were tiny, with fewer than 5 informative pairs for lymphoma. Meanwhile, known lymphoma risk factors like viral infections, alcohol consumption patterns, and occupational exposures weren't properly controlled for. What we're likely seeing is correlation driven by lifestyle clustering - people with tattoos often have different behavioral patterns that independently affect cancer risk, but the study's crude "ever/never" smoking measure and absence of other key controls can't disentangle these complex relationships.

I wonder if tattoo removal bumps the risk even further - a bit like disturbing asbestos in a building. That would be a hard one to study.

> In the case-control study, individual-level analysis resulted in a hazard of skin cancer (of any type except basal cell carcinoma) that was 1.62 times higher among tattooed individuals (95% CI: 1.08–2.41)

If lifestyle differences are not accounted for, I'd put little stock in this.

As someone with tattoos I am spending a lot of time in the sun without sunscreen and smoke enough nicotine to satiate some region in france probably.

It would be interesting if they could somehow look at the ink itself but without this being basically a lifelong study I realize that could be difficult.<p>Especially given the recent report of issues with some ink being used. I don&#x27;t remember the specifics.<p>I doubt this would stop people from getting tattoos, and I know it isn&#x27;t stopping myself from planning on being fully covered... but it is still interesting.

It would be interesting to see if this applies to traditional tattoo inks as well. Are tāmoko still done with traditional inks? If so, then that might be an easy way to do a population study.

Associated with. Causal connection not yet proved. On the other hand, let’s be realistic, tattoos are not going to turn out to be good for you, are they.

People have been getting tattoos for a pretty long time. I don&#x27;t really see this as stopping that?<p>If you have tattoos its entirely possible you&#x27;ll actually be more careful in the sun by applying sunscreen.... but you also might be more prone to showing your ink off and therefore exposing a greater area of skin to the sun.<p>If there is some common ingredient that has been used in tattoo inks recently and we&#x27;re concerned about that, let me know.... but generally speaking I don&#x27;t think this is interesting information

In life it&#x27;s often more important what you don&#x27;t do, then what you do do

Maybe it&#x27;s inflammation from the ink. Maybe the kind of personality that gets tattoos is also prone to other carcinogenic behavior.

And here I thought I disliked tattoos just because I&#x27;m an old fuddy-duddy.

Is this already known to the State of California because if those signs are missing, it’s feeling like a stimulus package has come my way