Tattoos and Cancer?

Tattoos seem to be everywhere today. Have you ever felt left out because you do not have one? According to the World Health Organization, the highest prevalence of tattoos is among Europeans and Americans, with 30 to 40 percent of the populations having at least one tattoo (WHO, retrieved May 31, 2024). In 2018 a Berlin-based market research company surveyed people in 18 countries. From their findings, 46 percent of Americans had at least one tattoo, as did 47 percent of Swedes and 48 percent of Italians (BBC, January 14, 2020).

Are tattoos safe as long as the tattoo parlor is hygienic and careful? A new study finds the answer to be no! Researchers examined a cancer database from Sweden and published their findings online on May 21 with the highly reputable medical journal The Lancet. Researchers discovered that people with tattoos are 21 percent more likely to develop lymphoma than those without tattoos. Although more research is needed to determine what aspect of tattooing may be carcinogenic, this large-scale study presents a clear connection between tattoos and cancer. Researchers noted that those whose first tattoo was less than two years old or more than eleven years old were at increased risk of lymphoma, as were those who had laser treatments to remove them.

There is an old saying: “Just because everyone is doing it doesn’t mean it’s right”—or, for that matter, safe. And that old saying applies to tattoos as well. Interestingly, God’s ancient laws, recorded in the Bible, outline many behaviors to avoid in order to be healthy and have a long life (Deuteronomy 12:28). These biblical laws are called “true laws” and “good statutes and commandments” (Nehemiah 9:13). One of those commands is to avoid tattoos (Leviticus 19:28). To learn more about God’s view of tattoos, read “Marks of Regret.”