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Melanie Rushforth is terrified her 20-year-old tattoo could have caused her cancerCredit: Melanie Rushforth 8<\/p>\n The 58-year-old was diagnosed with lymphoma – a type of blood cancerCredit: Melanie Rushforth<\/p>\n The administrator is midway through treatment for lymphoma<\/a> \u2013 a type of blood cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n In March, a study by the University of Southern Denmark found a link between tattoos<\/a> and an increased risk of developing blood cancers<\/a>, including lymphoma.<\/p>\n In fact, the increased risk<\/a> could be as much as 170 per cent, something Melanie wasn\u2019t aware of during her various tatts between 2005 and 2016.<\/p>\n It was only after being diagnosed in April that she became aware of the connection<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIn February I noticed a lump on my neck,\u201d Melanie, who is married to Ian, 62, an HGV driver, tells Sun Health.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAt first, I didn\u2019t think much of it. But I have an underactive thyroid, so I decided to get it checked just in case.<\/p>\n \u201cThe doctor didn\u2019t seem too concerned. He ordered some blood tests and told me to come back in four weeks if the lump didn\u2019t go down.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe blood tests were fine; he thought it might have been glandular fever, but that came back negative.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBy the time the four weeks were up, the lump had gone, so I didn\u2019t go back.\u201d<\/p>\n But two weeks later, Melanie\u2019s lump returned – much bigger and more painful than before – so she made another appointment<\/a> with her GP<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n People with tattoos have a 21% higher risk of lymphoma blood cancer – even if they’re tiny, study suggests<\/p>\n \u201cI thankfully saw the same doctor, and that\u2019s when he first mentioned the possibility of cancer,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHe said it might be nothing but sent me for an ultrasound and possibly a biopsy.\u201d<\/p>\n The scans showed Melanie had lymphoma, a type of blood cancer that originates in the lymphatic system.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma \u2013 DLBCL,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n One of the main symptoms of Melanie\u2019s condition is swollen lymph nodes<\/a>, but others include pain in the tummy<\/a>, chest or bone, night sweats<\/a>, a high temperature and unexplained weight loss<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Melanie, who works at the University of Lincoln, says: \u201cIt\u2019s in one spot on my neck and classified as stage one.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThankfully, it was caught early so I’m on a chemotherapy regimen called R-CHOP which is six sessions, one every three weeks.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI had my third session on June 30 and treatment should finish by late August or early September, when I might switch to radiotherapy depending on how things go.\u201d<\/p>\n I was shaking when I came across articles linking tattoos to blood cancers. I started to wonder, \u2018Have I done this to myself?\u2019<\/p>\n Melanie Rushforth<\/p><\/blockquote>\n While Melanie\u2019s consultant told her not to turn to Google<\/a> to check her diagnosis, it was while researching the condition she found the link between tattoos and cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n The latest study, published in BMC Public Health, analysed the health<\/a> data of 5,900 twins born between 1960 and 1996 up until 2017.<\/p>\n Over the course of several decades, the risk of lymphoma – a type of blood cancer that affects the immune system – was found to be three times higher for those with large tatts<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cFor larger tattoos \u2013 those bigger than the palm of a hand, the hazard was 140 per cent,\u201d study author assistant professor Signe Bedsted Clemmensen said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe found that people with tattoos had a 60 per cent higher hazard \u2013 a measure of \u2018immediate risk\u2019 \u2013 of developing skin cancer compared to those without tattoos.\u201d<\/p>\n Prof Clemmensen says the study findings are a long time overdue.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOur study found evidence of associations between having tattoos and development of lymphoma and skin cancer,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile this doesn\u2019t prove causation, it highlights a potential health concern that warrants further investigation.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has long been known that tattoo ink doesn\u2019t just stay in the skin. It also accumulates in nearby lymph nodes.\u201d<\/p>\n 8<\/p>\n Melanie wasn’t aware that studies show tattoos can increase your risk of cancer by as much as 170 per centCredit: Melanie Rushforth 8<\/p>\n She got her various inkings between 2005 and 2016Credit: Melanie Rushforth 8<\/p>\n ‘I started to wonder, \u2018Have I done this to myself?\u2019’ she saysCredit: Melanie Rushforth<\/p>\n She explains that this is one of the potential mechanisms that could explain why tattoos might lead to cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cFirstly, there are carcinogenic properties of substances used in tattoo ink,\u201d Prof Clemmensen says.<\/p>\n \u201cSecondly, we suspect that tattoo ink as a foreign substance can cause chronic inflammation in the lymph nodes, which over time can lead to abnormal cell growth and an increased risk of cancer.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cDespite repeated calls from health authorities for research into the potential long-term health effects of tattooing, there were no scientific studies addressing this issue when we began planning our study.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThat gap in knowledge is what prompted us to take a closer look.\u201d<\/p>\n What are the signs of lymphoma?<\/p>\n LYMPHOMA is a term for cancer that starts in the lymph system – a network of vessels and glands that spans your body.<\/p>\n There are two main kinds of lymphoma \u2013 Hodgkin Lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.<\/p>\n Lymphoma can cause many different symptoms, depending on which type of lymphoma it is and where it develops in the body.<\/p>\n The most typical signs are:<\/p>\n Other signs of lymphoma in a more localised area include:<\/p>\n Dr Rachel Orritt, health information manager at Cancer Research UK<\/a>, said: \u201cThere isn’t enough evidence to say that tattoos increase people’s cancer risk, and more research is needed.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a difficult area to study, because there are lots of different possible ingredients in tattoo ink, making it tricky to understand the effects.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf people are concerned about their cancer risk, there are proven steps they can take to reduce it.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThese include not smoking, keeping a healthy weight, and enjoying the sun safely.\u201d<\/p>\n For Melanie though, the realisations that her tattoos could have caused or contributed to her condition has been incredibly difficult to deal with.\u00a0<\/p>\n She says: \u201cMy husband and I were searching everything, and I came across a couple of articles linking tattoos to lymphoma or blood cancers. It understandably really worried me.<\/p>\n \u201cI have four tattoos and I\u2019d planned to get another this year to cover a scar on my leg.<\/p>\n \u201cI was shaking when I read those articles though. I started to wonder, \u2018Have I done this to myself?\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt added a whole new layer of stress.\u201d<\/p>\n ‘Like a phoenix rising from the ashes’<\/p>\n While Melanie\u2019s diagnosis could be entirely coincidental, Prof Clemmensen suggests the research is too hard to ignore.<\/p>\n She says more education is needed so people can make informed choices.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cUltimately, it\u2019s a personal decision,\u201d she says. \u201cEach individual must consider whether they\u2019re comfortable with the potential health risks associated with tattooing.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAs with smoking, alcohol consumption, or highly processed foods, it\u2019s important that people have access to reliable information.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOur role as researchers is to provide that evidence so individuals \u2013 and policymakers \u2013 can make informed decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n Melanie had planned to get a post-cancer tattoo, which she is now scrapping.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was of a phoenix rising from the ashes,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cIt felt symbolic – about survival, rebirth, and strength – but I won\u2019t get anything done for the foreseeable future \u2013 not after reading the study.<\/p>\n \u201cI love body art. It\u2019s a personal expression, but I won\u2019t get any more tattoos.\u201d<\/p>\n 8<\/p>\n Melanie is halfway through treatment for diffuse large B-cell lymphomaCredit: Melanie Rushforth 8<\/p>\n![\"Tattoo](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/i-shaking-i-found-tattoos-1010072177.jpg\")
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