Chronic
rhino-sinusitis (CRS) may be involved in causing of certain head and neck
cancers (HNCs), because of immunodeficiency or inflammation.
Several
studies explored this issue. Tsou et al. who studied the Taiwan Longitudinal
Health Insurance Database
found a 3.55-fold increased risk of developing nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) compared
with individuals without rhinosinusitis associations between and CRS throughout
a 3-year period.
Riley et al. conducted a systematic review found a 2.7- fold increased risk of
developing NPC in patients with CRS compared with patients without sinusitis.
Beachler and Engels of the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland evaluated
the associations of chronic sinusitis with subsequent HNC, including NPC, human
papillomavirus-related oropharyngeal cancer (HPV-OPC), and nasal cavity and
paranasal sinus cancer (NCPSC), in an elderly US individuals. They evaluated 483 546
Medicare beneficiaries treated from 2004 through 2011. CRS was associated with
increased risk of developing particularly NPC, HPV-OPC, and NCPSC within 1 year
of the chronic sinusitis diagnosis. Overall, the risk of any HNC type was 8%
higher in patients with CRS than individuals without chronic sinusitis.
Future
studies are warranted to evaluate whether inflammation in patients with
sinusitis contributes to emergence of cancer, especially in middle-aged adults.
