Nasal Fungi Cancer

Chronic Sinusitis Patients – Possible causes may be chronic inflammation and/or Mycotoxins produced by Nasal Fungi.

CHRONIC FUNGAL SINUSITIS AND SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED CANCER RISK.  Chronic exposure to mold/fungi and other micrograms are estimated to cause over 90% of cases of chronic sinusitis ¹. A number of studies have reported that chronic sinusitis is associated with a significantly increases risk of many cancers. A large recent Chinese study of 32,677 chronic sinusitis patients and  98,031 controls examined rates of total cancers and specific cancers in this large cohort ²  Overall cancer rates were significantly higher by 24% in the chronic rhinosinusitis patients as compared to controls  (Odds Ratio or OR 1.24, 95% Confidence Interval or CI of 1.17-1.30) ². Rates of specific cancers were also significantly increased in CRS patients for many cancer types including:

• • Head and Neck Cancer OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.33-1.75
  • Colon and Rectum Cancer OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.09-1.39
  • Liver Cancer OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.09-14.1
  • Skin Cancer OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.05-1.79
  • Breast Cancer OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.10-13.36
  • Prostate Cancer OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.54.-2.22

INFLAMMATION AND MYCOTOXINS PRODUCED IN NOSE MAY INCREASE CANCER RISK

The Xia researchers suggested that the chronic inflammation and common antibiotic usage seen in many chronic sinusitis patients may be a trigger for higher cancer rates ². Another possibility is that nasal fungi are producing significant quantities of mycotoxins in the nose and nasal passages ^3,4.   Hooper at al reported that measurable amounts of the following mycotoxins were found in nasal tissue samples- aflatoxins found in 6 out 47 (13%) nasal tissue samples, ochratoxins found in 1 out of 27 (4%) nasal tissue samples, and trichothcenes found in 24 out of 63 nasal tissue samples (38%) ⁴. Treatment with surgery and/or antifungal drugs like intranasal amphotericin B has been associated with significant reductions of mycotoxins in tissue and/or urine as well as significant improvements in health symptoms such as chronic rhinosinusitis, chronic fatigue, digestive problems, depression, anxiety, and troubles with cognitive function ^4,5.

Research and References:

1. Ponikau JU, Sherris DA, Kern EB, et al. The diagnosis and incidence of allergic fungal sinusitis. Mayo Clin Proc. 1999;74(9):877-884.

2. Xia CX, Kao YW, Qin L, Chen MC, Shia BC, Wu SY. Cancer risk in chronic rhinosinusitis: a propensity score matched case-control cohort study. American journal of translational research. 2019;11(11):7146-7156.

3. Brewer JH, Thrasher JD, Hooper D. Chronic illness associated with mold and mycotoxins: is naso-sinus fungal biofilm the culprit? Toxins. 2013;6(1):66-80.

4. Hooper DG, Bolton VE, Guilford FT, Straus DC. Mycotoxin detection in human samples from patients exposed to environmental molds. Int J Mol Sci. 2009;10(4):1465-1475.

5. Dennis D, Thrasher J. Surgical and managment of sinus mucosal and systematic mycotoxicosis. Otolaryngol Reconstructive Surgery. 2017;3(1):117- Pages 111-117.