Nasal Cancer and Sinus Cancer - Maximed Turkey

What are Nasal Cancer and Sinus Cancer?

Nasal cancer is cancer that starts in the cells of the lining of one or both nostrils. It can grow deep within the nasal passages or spread to other parts of the head or neck.

Cancer that starts in cells near your nose and spreads into your sinuses is called sinus cancer. It's also called nasopharyngeal carcinoma if it develops in nearby tissues at the back of your throat, behind your nose, cheekbones, around your nose, around your eyes, or in nearby lymph nodes.

The tumors can invade nearby bone structures and tissue along their way to other parts of the body. Sinus cancer may also develop from infections with certain types of bacteria including Mucorales spp. and Fusobacterium spp. The infections can cause tumors that develop into cancer.

What Causes Nasal and Sinus Cancer?

No one knows exactly what causes nasal and sinus cancers. These types of cancer don't seem to run in families as some other cancers do. But certain risk factors may increase your chances of developing these cancers. You shouldn't be overly worried about these factors, though, because most people who have them never get nasal or sinus cancer.

People who have had chronic nasal problems for many years are more likely to develop nasal or sinus cancers. These problems include chronic inflammation, long-term narrow or blocked nasal passages, and repeated infections of the nose.

Smoking cigarettes is the main risk factor for developing nasal cancer. But other diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic bronchitis, also seem to raise your chances of having sinus cancer. Your risk may also be higher if you have a history of radiation to the head and neck area.

What are the Symptoms of Nasal and Sinus Cancer?

Most people with these types of cancer don't have symptoms when they first develop them. But some will notice the symptoms in time. Symptoms include:

• An unusual or new growth or mass in your nose or sinuses.
• Difficulty breathing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and coughing with air coming out of your mouth.
• A discharge from your nose that doesn't go away when you blow your nose. This is called nasal bleeding or epistaxis. (Epistaxis means "to shed blood.") Wheezing with the use of oxygen is often a sign that you have sinus problems that shouldn't be ignored. Older people may also experience asthma-like symptoms when they get sick.
• (Epistaxis means "to shed blood.") Wheezing with the use of oxygen is often a sign that you have sinus problems that shouldn't be ignored. Older people may also experience asthma-like symptoms when they get sick. A loss of sense of smell or taste, especially if it's followed by a full-body rash.
• Sudden vision changes such as seeing bright flashes, floaters, spots, tunnel vision, or blurring of your vision.
• Changes such as seeing bright flashes, floaters, spots, tunnel vision, or blurring of your vision. Pain or pressure in your head and neck area. This can be a symptom of sinus conditions such as nasal polyps.

How are Nasal Cancer and Sinus Cancers Diagnosed?

Doctors use imaging tests to look for cancer. Doctors use imaging tests to look for cancer.

To diagnose nasal and sinus cancers, your doctor will take a good medical history and examine you. You may need an X-ray or CT scan of your sinuses, and a biopsy of the tumor if one is present.

A biopsy is when a sample of cancer tissue is removed and analyzed in a lab by a pathologist to see if cancer cells are present. To get this information, your doctor will ask about any symptoms that you have had and examine you carefully. Your doctor may ask about your family history too.

Frequently Asked  Questions on Nasal and Sinus Cancer

What is a Tumor?

A tumor is made up of cancer cells and other cells and tissues. A tumor may be the result of cancer (cancerous), or it may be a mass formed in another way (noncancerous). What is a biopsy?

In a biopsy, a small piece of tissue is removed from the area where a person has a mass and sent to a pathologist for testing. The pathologist will take samples from tissue samples collected from different parts of the body so that he or she can determine if the cancer cells are present in all parts of the body.

Who should I call if I have Nasal or Sinus Cancer?

If you have nasal cancer, you should call your doctor immediately. It's important to know that there are now treatments that can cure this type of cancer.

How long do Nasal and Sinus Cancers last?

Most tumors found in the nose or sinuses are benign (not cancer). However, between 1 percent and 3 percent of cancers occurring in the nose or sinuses are malignant (cancerous). The average survival time after diagnosis ranges from 4 and 14 months.