Apr. 13, 2009 The number of cases of tonsil cancer continues to
increase, according to a new Swedish study from Karolinska
Institutet, with diagnoses tripling since 1970. The results of
the study, which mainly cover the Swedish capital of Stockholm,
show that this increase is directly linked to the human
papillomavirus (HPV). "The number of cases of tonsillar
carcinoma is rising throughout Sweden, but the link to HPV has
so far only been studied in Stockholm," says Professor Tina
Dalianis, one of the researchers behind the study. "However,
Stockholm is a typical European city so we suspect that the
results indicate a general trend." Tonsillar carcinoma is the
most common form of oropharynx cancer in Sweden. Because the
tumours produce so few symptoms, patients seek medical care when
the disease is relatively advanced, often after the tumours have
spread to the lymph glands of the throat, possibly making the
prognosis much worse. It has long been known that smoking and
drinking alcohol are the greatest risk fa