Overview
- A University of Utah–led analysis of roughly 7,000 Utah residents reported fewer invasive and in situ melanoma cases among people with two or more tattoo sessions.
- Participants with only one tattoo session showed a higher likelihood of melanoma, with the pattern strongest for in situ disease.
- Melanomas were not found to occur more frequently in tattooed skin compared with un-inked areas, suggesting no site-specific effect of ink.
- Key confounders such as sun exposure history, tanning bed use, skin type, and family history were not collected for controls, and only about 41% of melanoma cases responded, increasing bias concerns.
- Authors and commentators call for better-controlled studies to test behavioral or biological explanations, and public guidance remains focused on sun protection and skin checks as other research has linked tattoos to certain blood cancers.