Paranasal Sinus and Nasal Cavity Cancer

Paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer is a type of head and neck cancer. It usually occurs as a squamous cell carcinoma. The disease forms in the thin, flat squamous cells that line the inside of the sinuses and nose. Other types of cancer that occur in this part of the body include melanoma, sarcoma, and midline granulomas.

Risk factors for paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer include smoking and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection as well as exposure to certain chemicals or dust during furniture making, sawmill work, woodworking, shoemaking, and flour mill or bakery work. The majority of these tumors are discovered at advanced stages when cure rates are generally poor.

Head and neck cancer includes cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx (throat), larynx (voice box), paranasal sinuses, nasal cavity, and salivary glands. About 71,100 cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, or larynx, the major types of head and neck cancer, are expected to be diagnosed in the United States in 2024, and about 16,110 deaths will occur, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Paranasal Sinus and Nasal Cavity Cancer Treatment (Adult) (PDQ®)

Source: National Cancer Institute