Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrognosis
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prognosis
Sinus cancer is a malignancy that develops in the open spaces behind your nose, called sinuses. It makes up about 3 to 5% of all head and neck cancers and can have long-lasting and devastating effects if not treated early.
Each year, about 2,000 people are diagnosed with nasal cavity or paranasal sinus cancer in the United States.Oftentimes sinus cancer goes unnoticed until symptoms develop, and when symptoms do occur, they often mimic common benign conditions like a cold or the flu.
In this article, you will learn the signs and symptoms to be aware of if you suspect sinus cancer so that you can seek prompt treatment, as research has shown that early diagnosis and treatment better your chances of beating cancer.
Science Photo Library / Getty Images
Types of Sinus Cancer
Sinus cancers are classified according to the type of cells involved. There are many different types of sino-nasal cancers, including:
Moreover, sinus cancer may occur in various locations around the face, such as:
Sinus Cancer Symptoms
Small sinus cancer growths usually cause no symptoms and are often found incidentally when your doctor is looking for something else. In most cases, sinus cancer is detected when you are experiencing one or several problems in the head and neck area of the body. Many symptoms, like nasal congestion and postnasal drip, can mimic a cold, allergies, or sinusitis, and are often ignored, but if any of the following symptoms persist or don’t get better with standard treatment, you should consult your healthcare provider.
Signs and symptoms of sinus cancer often only occur on one side and include:
In the later stages, you may also experience:
Not all sinus cancers have known causes, but research suggests that some environmental factors, particularly heavy exposure to certain industrial chemicals, may increase the risk of developing sinus cancer. The following substances have been linked to higher rates of nasal and paranasal sinus cancer:
Other causes of sinus cancer include:
If your doctor suspects sinus cancer, he or she will perform an endoscopy to access whether or not there are cancerous growths in your nasal and paranasal passageways.
During your physical exam, your doctor will check for numbness, pain, swelling, and/or firmness in your face, while also looking for any changes in the symmetry of your eyes and face, loss of vision, and any other symptoms. Swollen lymph nodes or glands in the neck area are later sign of developing sinus cancer so your doctor or healthcare professional will also check those areas during your exam.
If your healthcare provider suspects sinus cancer, they will refer you to an otolaryngologist, a doctor who specializes in diseases of the ear, nose, and throat. More commonly referred to as ENTs, these specialists will perform an endoscopy, a procedure using a thin tube with a tiny light and a video camera on the end called an endoscope to look at the nose and nasal passages. During this procedure, your ENT may remove a small piece of abnormal tissue to further examine. They may also order imaging such as X-rays, CT scans, PET scans, bone scans, and MRIs to get a better idea of what’s going on.
Your treatment options will depend on the stage at which your cancer was diagnosed, how far it’s spread, and your general level of health. Usually, a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy will be needed to increase the efficacy of your treatment.
Sinus cancer treatment options include:
Sinus cancer is usually diagnosed in older adults, age 55 and over. It also targets certain races and sexes more than others: White people are much more likely to develop sinus cancers than Black people, and men are about twice as likely as women to be diagnosed with sinus cancer.
Survival rates are calculated based on people with similar cancer types and stages of the disease. While survival rates can’t tell you how long you will live, they can give you insight into how successful treatment may be for you.
A Word From Verywell
If you have chronic sinusitis or cold-like symptoms, don’t put off consulting your health care professional as the symptoms could be a sign of a more ominous condition. Early detection and treatment increases the likelihood of complete removal of the tumor and decreases the chances of the cancer returning.
A diagnosis of sinus cancer can be frightening, but take heart that if you do receive a diagnosis, your chances of survival are high. Your ENT will work with you to build a personalized treatment plan to manage your symptoms and optimize your chances of achieving complete remission.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Dutta R, Dubal PM, Svider PF, Liu JK, Baredes S, Eloy JA.Sinonasal malignancies: A population-based analysis of site-specific incidence and survival.Laryngoscope. 2015;125(11):2491-2497. doi:10.1002/lary.25465Cancercenter.com.Sinus cancer types.Dagan R, Amdur RJ, Dziegielewski PT.Tumors of the nasal cavity. Shah S, ed. UpToDate. Waltham, Mass.: UpToDate.Cancer.org.Signs and symptoms of nasal and paranasal cancer.Cancer.gov.Paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer treatment.Bossi P, Farina D, Gatta G, Lombardi D, Nicolai P, Orlandi E.Paranasal sinus cancer.Crit Rev Oncol Hematol.2016;98:45-61. doi:10.1016/j.critrevonc.2015.09.009.Cancer.org.Survival rates for nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancers.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Dutta R, Dubal PM, Svider PF, Liu JK, Baredes S, Eloy JA.Sinonasal malignancies: A population-based analysis of site-specific incidence and survival.Laryngoscope. 2015;125(11):2491-2497. doi:10.1002/lary.25465Cancercenter.com.Sinus cancer types.Dagan R, Amdur RJ, Dziegielewski PT.Tumors of the nasal cavity. Shah S, ed. UpToDate. Waltham, Mass.: UpToDate.Cancer.org.Signs and symptoms of nasal and paranasal cancer.Cancer.gov.Paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer treatment.Bossi P, Farina D, Gatta G, Lombardi D, Nicolai P, Orlandi E.Paranasal sinus cancer.Crit Rev Oncol Hematol.2016;98:45-61. doi:10.1016/j.critrevonc.2015.09.009.Cancer.org.Survival rates for nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancers.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Dutta R, Dubal PM, Svider PF, Liu JK, Baredes S, Eloy JA.Sinonasal malignancies: A population-based analysis of site-specific incidence and survival.Laryngoscope. 2015;125(11):2491-2497. doi:10.1002/lary.25465Cancercenter.com.Sinus cancer types.Dagan R, Amdur RJ, Dziegielewski PT.Tumors of the nasal cavity. Shah S, ed. UpToDate. Waltham, Mass.: UpToDate.Cancer.org.Signs and symptoms of nasal and paranasal cancer.Cancer.gov.Paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer treatment.Bossi P, Farina D, Gatta G, Lombardi D, Nicolai P, Orlandi E.Paranasal sinus cancer.Crit Rev Oncol Hematol.2016;98:45-61. doi:10.1016/j.critrevonc.2015.09.009.Cancer.org.Survival rates for nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancers.
Dutta R, Dubal PM, Svider PF, Liu JK, Baredes S, Eloy JA.Sinonasal malignancies: A population-based analysis of site-specific incidence and survival.Laryngoscope. 2015;125(11):2491-2497. doi:10.1002/lary.25465
Cancercenter.com.Sinus cancer types.
Dagan R, Amdur RJ, Dziegielewski PT.Tumors of the nasal cavity. Shah S, ed. UpToDate. Waltham, Mass.: UpToDate.
Cancer.org.Signs and symptoms of nasal and paranasal cancer.
Cancer.gov.Paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer treatment.
Bossi P, Farina D, Gatta G, Lombardi D, Nicolai P, Orlandi E.Paranasal sinus cancer.Crit Rev Oncol Hematol.2016;98:45-61. doi:10.1016/j.critrevonc.2015.09.009.
Cancer.org.Survival rates for nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancers.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
