Article: Can tattoos cause cancer?(Oncology Myths and Legends)(Report)

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 64th to a 16th of an inch into the dermis (Armstrong & Murphy, 1997). The instruments use sets of one to 14 vibrating needles (Sperry, 1992).

 
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