Tattooing and risk of melanoma: a population-based case-control study in Utah
Menée sur 1 167 patients atteints d'un mélanome et sur 5 835 témoins, cette étude évalue l'association entre les tatouages et le risque de développer la maladie
Tattooing can deliver carcinogens directly into the skin and cause immunologic responses, yet the relationship between tattooing and melanoma risk is unknown.In a population-based case-control study with 1,167 melanoma cases (566 in situ; 601 invasive) and 5,835 frequency-matched controls, we examined tattooing and melanoma risk using multivariable logistic regression to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).While ever receiving a tattoo was not strongly associated with melanoma risk, heavier tattooing exposure was associated with decreased risk. Overall melanoma risk was decreased among individuals who had received four or more tattoo sessions (OR 0.44 [95% CI 0.27–0.67]) and individuals who had three or more large tattoos (OR 0.26 [95% CI 0.10–0.54]) compared with those who were never tattooed. Invasive melanoma risk was also decreased among individuals who received their first tattoo before age 20 (OR 0.48 [95% CI 0.29–0.82]) compared with never tattooed individuals.Our findings suggest more tattoo exposure is associated with reduced melanoma risk, which does not support previously hypothesized associations between tattooing and increased melanoma risk. Unmeasured confounding is likely to contribute to our findings as we were not able to control for important melanoma risk factors. Potential causes of these associations could include sun exposure-related behaviors or immune responses to tattooing. Further investigation is warranted to clarify these relationships.
Journal of the National Cancer Institute , article en libre accès, 2025