History of previous nasal diseases and sinonasal cancer: a case-control study.

A case-control study on cancer of the nose and paranasal sinuses, and several risk factors including previous nasal diseases and symptoms, was performed in France from January 1986 through February 1988. The frequency of previous nasal diseases and symptoms was analyzed by histologic type of cancer. Different results were observed for squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas. In men, there were statistically significant associations between squamous cell carcinomas and sinusitis, bleeding from the nose, polyps, rhinitis, and trauma to the nose; and between adenocarcinomas, bleeding from the nose, and rhinitis. In women, there was an association between squamous cell carcinomas and nasal polyps.