Allergies can be annoying, but they may also protect you from cancer.

A new report from Cornell University suggests that symptoms of allergies may remove foreign particles from the body, some of which could have led to cancer.

A new article in the December issue of The Quarterly Review of Biology provides strong evidence that allergies are much more than just an annoying immune malfunction. They may protect against certain types of cancer.

Also, allergies may serve as early warning devices that let people know when there are substances in the air that should be avoided, the researchers said.

The report in the Quarterly Review of Biology noted that past studies of allergies and cancer have showed mixed results, with some showing more allergies in cancer patients and some showing less.

The new work, which reviewed 650 previous studies, found that allergies were less common in people whose cancers were in parts of the body that are exposed to the outside world such as the mouth, throat, skin and cervix.

The connection was not as strong for more isolated tissues such as the breast, the lymphatic system and the blood.

The research team said it was not clear if the possible benefits of allergies meant that people should avoid allergy medicines.