Tonsil News and Research

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Rushing to remove a child's tonsils not such a great idea

Dutch researchers say rushing to have a child's tonsils removed because of mild or moderate throat infections may not be such a good idea.

20 Nov 2007

Tonsillectomy may increase costs without benefits in some children

A Dutch study suggests that among children with mild or moderate symptoms of throat infections, surgery to remove the tonsils may be more expensive but not necessarily more beneficial than watchful waiting, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

20 Nov 2007

Tonsillectomy sorts out children's sleep apnea and improves their behaviour

Doctors in the U.S. say children diagnosed with sleep-related breathing disorders sleep better after their tonsils and adenoids are removed.

17 Oct 2007

Removal of tonsils and adenoids improves sleep and behavior in children with breathing disorders

Children diagnosed with sleep-disordered breathing appear to sleep better and have improved behavior following removal of their tonsils and adenoids, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

16 Oct 2007

Taxotere (docetaxel) granted FDA approval to treat locally advanced head and neck cancer prior to chemo and surgery

Sanofi-aventis announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Taxotere (docetaxel) Injection Concentrate in combination with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil for induction therapy of locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) before patients undergo chemoradiotherapy and surgery.

2 Oct 2007

Coblation VS Co2 laser for tonsil ablation in adults

New surgical procedures are being developed that could help to speed healing time and reduce pain for adult patients suffering from chronic tonsillitis.

18 Sep 2007

The role of gastric reflux in lingual tonsil hypertrophy

Laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPR) is a chronic, often uncomfortable, condition that affects millions of people.

18 Sep 2007

Effects of tonsillectomy on speech spectrum

Although tonsillectomy is therapeutic for chronic tonsillitis, the procedure has the potential to affect speech quality, by altering the resonant characteristics of the vocal tract, and to modify velopharyngeal function (the closing off of the nose from the mouth during speech).

18 Sep 2007

Tonsillectomies increasingly performed to treat snoring and sleep disorders

A new Mayo Clinic study indicates tonsillectomies are increasingly being performed to treat airway obstructions evidenced by snoring and sleep disorders as opposed to tonsil infections.

18 Sep 2007

HPV infection and head and neck cancer

The human papillomavirus (HPV) has been implicated as a cause of cervical cancer in women, but there's another devastating form of cancer also linked to HPV infection - head and neck cancer - and almost no one is talking about it.

18 Sep 2007

Intracapsular tonsil removal associated with reduced postoperative pain, bleeding

Patients who have a tonsillectomy using an “intracapsular” technique - which removes at least 90 percent of tonsil tissue, but spares the tonsil capsule - appear to have less postoperative heavy bleeding and pain compared with those who undergo traditional tonsil removal surgery, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery

18 Sep 2007

Irish study to look at how bacteria, Yersinia enterocolitica, enters the food chain

Monitoring of pig carcasses and pig meat in slaughterhouses, butchers' premises and retail outlets will be undertaken in Ireland over the next two years in an attempt to determine how a human disease causing bacteria, Yersinia enterocolitica, enters the food chain, scientists announced today (Tuesday 4 September 2007) at the Society for General Microbiology's 161st Meeting at the University of Edinburgh, UK, which runs from 3-6 September 2007.

4 Sep 2007

Genial bone advancement trephine effective treatiment for sleep apnea

Sleep disorder and ear, nose and throat specialists at Thomas Jefferson University are examining an innovative procedure to treat obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

29 Aug 2007

Trends in head and neck cancer incidence in relation to smoking

Though the overall incidence of head and neck cancers has fallen in the United States, the rate of oropharyngeal (chiefly, tonsil and base of tongue) cancers is stagnant and appears to be rising is certain populations and these trends are likely due to oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.

28 Aug 2007

Oral sex the culprit in rising numbers of throat cancers

According to the latest figures on head and neck cancer, even though the rates for such cancers have dropped in recent years, throat cancer rates in the United States have not dropped.

28 Aug 2007

7-step guide to understanding tonsils and strep

Fifteen-year-old Kaci Jawegg's family knew the signs and symptoms all too well: It would start with itchy ears, followed by a sore and scratchy throat.

6 Aug 2007

Tonsil epithelial factors may influence oropharyngeal HIV transmission

Current research demonstrates that the tonsils may possess the necessary factors to act as a transmission site for the spread of HIV.

27 Jul 2007

Taste loss after tonsillectomy unusual

In a small study of patients undergoing tonsillectomy, or removal of the tonsils, none reported an ongoing dysfunction in their sense of taste following the procedure, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Otolaryngology?Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

17 Jul 2007

Blood test may help signal tumor's remission, return in throat cancer patients

A blood test that detects proteins commonly released by a growing tumor could one day become a useful tool for monitoring the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation treatment in people with advanced throat cancer, according to a study published in the June 1, 2007, issue of Clinical Cancer Research .

3 Jun 2007

Scientists develop method to track immune system enzyme in live animals

Scientists supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) at the National Institutes of Health have created two mouse strains that will permit researchers to trace, in a live animal, the activity of an enzyme believed to play a crucial role both in the normal immune response as well as autoimmunity and B cell tumor development.

18 May 2007