ArticleEClinicalMedicine2025
Investigating the potential association between tattoos and lymphoma: an exploratory systematic review and meta-analysis.
Article in EClinicalMedicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Tattooing and immune response: A mouse model too far from clinical reality.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026Article
- No robust evidence supporting an association between tattoos and de-novo cutaneous melanoma.European journal of epidemiology · 2026Article
- Is tattooing associated with an increased risk of cancer? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: The tattooed population has risen significantly over the last few decades, leading to increased scrutiny into potential side effects. The recent publication of scientific articles linking tattooing to lymphoma has led to a systematic review being conducted to investigate if an association exists. Methods: Following the PICO framework, we formed a systematic review comparing tattooed to non-tattooed adults belonging to any region of the world and investigated the likelihood of lymphomagenesis. The protocol was pre-registered on PROSPERO (ID: CRD42024586505). Relevant studies were searched for in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Google Scholar, and CENTRAL on 10/09/2024 and updated on 16/07/25. The inclusion criteria consisted of primary studies, including observational studies and case reports which investigated the association between tattoos and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Exclusion criteria were publications involving subjects under 18 and non-English papers. Data extraction was performed using published numbers from individual papers after requesting raw data. Study quality was assessed using ROBINS-E, and evidence certainty using GRADE. Outcomes assessed were any odds/risk/incidence ratios that associated tattooing with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Findings: A total of four observational studies, totalling 17,941 participants (2485 cases and 15,456 controls) and three case reports were identified. None of the included studies demonstrated a statistically proven link between lymphomagenesis and tattooing. ROBINS-E showed relatively low bias for our three included studies; however, the certainty of our evidence is low due to the lack of high-quality studies with similar methodologies. The meta-analysis conducted for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, with subtypes follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, produced odds ratios of 1.01 (95% CI 0.82-1.24), 1.01 (95% CI 0.77-1.33) and 0.89 (95% CI 0.54-1.46), respectively. Interpretation: No significant association was found between tattooing and lymphoma. Due to limitations in the data quality and lack of standardised measurable outcomes, further high-quality research is needed. Funding: There was no funding for this study.
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