Appendectomy, tonsillectomy, and neoplasia

Reports in the literature that study the frequency of cancer in individual who have had their tonsils or appendix or both removed are reviewed. Some investigators found a high incidence of solid cancers - in particular, breast and colon neoplasms - in female patients who have had appendectomy, but others disagreed. The association of tonsillectomy and/or appendectomy with the later development of malignant lymphomas is not proven.