Nasal Cavity Cancer
The nasal cavity is the space just behind the nose where air passes on its way to the throat. The paranasal sinuses are air-filled areas that surround the nasal cavity.
Sinus and nasal cavity cancer can form as a tumor (or tumors) in two places: the spaces around your nose where mucus is produced, or the space behind your nose where air passes on its way to your lungs. This rare disease has symptoms that are often confused with other common sinus issues.
Signs & Symptoms
- Pain above or below the eyes
- Blockage of one side of the nose
- Post-nasal drip (nasal drainage in the back of the nose and throat)
- Nosebleeds
- Pus draining from the nose
- Decreased or loss of sense of smell
- Numbness or pain in parts of the face
- Loosening or numbness of the teeth
- Growth or mass of the face, nose, or palate (top of the mouth)
- Constant watery eyes
- Pain or pressure in one of the ears
- Hearing loss
- Headache
- Trouble opening the mouth
- Enlarging lymph nodes in the neck (seen or felt as lumps under the skin)
Causes & Risk Factors
Men are affected one-and-one-half more often then women. The disease is more common in people between 45 and 85 years of age.
Approximately 60 to 70 percent of sinus cancers occur in the maxillary sinus. About 20 to 30 percent begin in the nasal cavity, and 10 to 15 percent in the ethmoid sinuses. Less than 10 percent are found in the frontal and sphenoid sinuses.
Diagnosis
To make a diagnosis of nasal cavity cancer or sinus cancer the doctor will ask questions about your symptoms, medical history, and examine your mouth.
An examination of the ears, nose, and neck is also needed to help determine if the tumor has spread.
If your examination needs further investigation, your doctor may order a biopsy in order to diagnosis the type of cancer present. A Biopsy is conducted with tissue that is removed so that a pathologist may examine its cells under a microscope.
Treatment
Nasal cavity cancers are often removed in a procedure called wide local excision. This means removing the tumor plus an edge of normal tissue around it. ... If the tumor is in the lateral (side) wall of the nasal cavity, this wall may need to be removed by a procedure called a medial maxillectomy
The nasal cavity includes the nostrils and the area behind the nose. Surgery in this area is very specialised and only a specialist surgeon can do it. They will try to remove the cancer and some surrounding tissue but will also try to change your appearance as little as possible.
