Scientists have proven the link between a runny nose and cancer for the first time

Chronic rhinosinusitis may significantly increase the risk of developing cancer — such alarming data were presented by scientists at the annual conference of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

As reported by TUT.AZ with reference to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the results announced at the AAAAI Annual Meeting 2026 point to a concerning pattern: chronic rhinosinusitis may be associated with an increased likelihood of cancer. The study became one of the largest in this field — scientists analyzed medical data from hundreds of thousands of patients in South Korea and Japan.

The specialists turned to large-scale medical databases, focusing on patients over 40 years of age. In the South Korean cohort, which covered more than 587,000 individuals, chronic rhinosinusitis was found to be associated with an approximately 15% increase in overall cancer risk. However, in the Japanese cohort, which included over 4.8 million patients, the picture turned out to be even more alarming — the likelihood of developing cancer increased by approximately 63%.

An in-depth analysis of the South Korean data confirmed that patients with this diagnosis had an overall risk of malignant neoplasms that was approximately 18% higher. Lung cancer stood out in particular — its likelihood increased by approximately 28%.

The most distinct association in both countries was observed for specific types of cancer. In the Japanese group, people with chronic rhinosinusitis were notably more frequently diagnosed with hematological malignancies, lung cancer, and thyroid cancer.

Notably, a statistically significant association between the condition and increased cancer risk, including lung cancer, was found predominantly in patients with the form of rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps. In those whose condition was accompanied by polyps, scientists did not observe such a pattern.

One of the study's authors — Professor Son H. Cho of the Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida — noted that the findings may point to a key role of chronic inflammation in the mechanisms of cancer development. In his opinion, this raises the question of the need for closer monitoring of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, especially in middle and older age. At the same time, the scientist emphasized that the conclusions need to be verified in other populations, including residents of the United States and Europe. A similar study among American patients has already been launched.

Nevertheless, experts urge caution in interpreting the results. Associate Professor of Otolaryngology at the University of Florida Jennifer Mulligan drew attention to a number of limitations of the study. According to her, factors such as obesity, smoking, and age over 40 simultaneously increase the risk of both cancer and chronic rhinosinusitis. Although this makes the discovered association biologically plausible, the statistical model used was unable to completely rule out the influence of these confounding factors.