Can Tattoo's Cause Cancer?

OncOlOgy Myths and legends

Patricia a. Weiss, rn, Msn, Ocn®, ccrP—assOciate editOr

Can Tattoos Cause Cancer?
Anthony R. Doremus, LPN

Myth: Tattooing has risen in popularity, but can this body art increase the risk of cancer? Answer: Tattoos and body piercings have been prevalent for thousands of years in many cultures. Tattooed mummies from Egypt, Peru, and the Philippines have been radiocarbon dated to 2000 BC. The word tattoo is derived from the Tahitian word ta-tau, which means “the result of tapping.” Modern artists use an electrically powered instrument to inject tattoo pigment 50–3,000 times per minute to a depth of about a sixty-fourth to a sixteenth of an inch into the dermis (Armstrong & Murphy, 1997). The instruments use sets

of one to 14 vibrating needles (Sperry, 1992).

Tattoo Procedures and Regulations
Tattooing is an invasive procedure. Although licensed artists use sterile, disposable needles, tattooing sometimes is performed in unsterile environments, such as commercial studios, flea markets, rock concerts, and fraternity parties. As a result, tattooing can cause infections, including hepatitis and AIDS. Depending on the skill of the artist and choice of pigment and diluents, allergic reactions and poor cosmetic results may be potential outcomes and should be a consideration for risk. Vegetable dyes and carbon have been used for tattoo pigment in the past; current colorants include azo pigments (which are used in automobile paints and silk screening), vegetable dyes, minerals, metals, and plastics. Solvents that liquefy powdered pigments (ethyl alcohol, denatured alcohol, or distilled water) are used at artists’ discretion (Helmenstine, 2002). Impurities in pigments may cause adverse skin reactions. Colorants also may be transported to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes (Moehrle, Blaheta, & Ruck, 2001), which can present clinical challenges when specimens are dyed for pathology tests. Tattoo pigment has been mistaken

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