Association between tonsillectomy and risk of oropharyngeal cancer: a systematic review

Studies have demonstrated that tonsillectomy may alter the risk of oropharyngeal cancer (OPC). We systematically reviewed the evidence and pooled data to examine such an association. PubMed, Embase, and Scopus were searched up to 25 April 2023. Studies reporting an association between tonsillectomy and oropharyngeal cancer risk at any site were included. Five studies were eligible. All examined the risk of tonsillar and base of the tongue (BOT) cancer with prior history of tonsillectomy. On meta-analysis of the data, prior history of tonsillectomy was associated with a significantly decreased risk of tonsillar cancer. The second meta-analysis showed that history of tonsillectomy did not significantly alter the risk of BOT cancer. However, after exclusion of one study, the results showed an increased risk of BOT cancer with a history of tonsillectomy. The scarce data available in the literature suggests that tonsillectomy may reduce the risk of tonsillar cancer but does not alter the risk of BOT cancer. Further studies are needed to explore the association between tonsillectomy and the risk of OPC.