Although our study is the first to identify IL‐1R1 expression on tonsillar fibroblasts, this receptor has been detected previously on gingival fibroblasts.37 We used anakinra, a highly specific IL‐1R antagonist that has been used clinically to treat auto‐inflammatory diseases,38, 39 to block cancer cell derived IL‐1 binding to the NTF IL‐1R, to show that CXCL8, CCL2 and CCL5 release is driven in NTF by the IL‐1/IL‐1R axis, presumably via IL‐1β secreted by HPV‐negative OPC. Here, CCL5 is linked to cancer.