The correlation between chronic sinonasal inflammation and nasopharyngeal carcinoma

In a recent systematic review and meta-analysis, the presence of chronic sinonasal inflammation shows a significant correlation with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Findings of this study were documented in the American Journal of Otolaryngology.

This meta-analysis involved a comprehensive search of four international databases from 1^st January 1973 to 28^th March 2022 for studies addressing sinonasal inflammation and NPC in adults (greater than 18 years old). Case-control, cohort, or cross-sectional studies were included that explored the association between a prior history of sinonasal inflammation and the risk of developing NPC. The incidence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in patients with prior sinonasal inflammation is the outcome.

A total of eight studies, comprising 8,245 individuals diagnosed with NPC and 1,036,087 individuals without NPC, were examined. The overall odds ratio for developing NPC following sinonasal inflammation was found to be 1.81 (95% confidence interval 1.73-1.89). Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) exhibited a stronger association with an increased risk of NPC, with an odds ratio of 1.78 (95% confidence interval: 1.68-1.90), in comparison to allergic rhinitis (AR) (odds ratio of 1.60; 95% confidence interval: 1.52-1.68).

Thus, it can be concluded that chronic sinonasal inflammation is strongly linked to nasopharyngeal carcinoma. It is important to thoroughly examine the cause-and-effect relationship and the potential effects of targeted screening using large-scale prospective studies.