Cancer risk following surgical removal of tonsils and adenoids: population-based, sibling-controlled cohort study

Removal of tonsils and adenoids is among the most common surgical procedures worldwide. Evidence of increased risk of cancer following such surgery is inconclusive. A population-based, sibling-controlled cohort study of 4,953,853 individuals in Sweden, found that following tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, of adenotonsillectomy the risk of any cancer and some specific cancers was modestly increased, both in the population (a) and sibling (b) comparisons. The association did not differ greatly by type of surgery or age at surgery, and persisted for more than two decades after surgery.