Sinus or nasal cancer is very rare. They are found most often in adults between 50 and 70. In about 5% of cases, the cancer is associated with a predisposition factor such as smoking or nosebleeds. Nasal cancer accounts for approximately 10% of all lung cancers. Sinus cancer is one type of non-small cell lung carcinoma, one of the most common types of lung cancer.
These types of lung cancer grow from specialized cells called epithelial cells. An enzyme that helps your body make mucus keeps these cells from growing into other kinds of cells. When you have sinus cancer, these normal mucus-producing cells do not produce as much as they should or as much as they would if you did not have any problems with your sinuses.
What is sinus cancer?
Sinus or nasal cancer is a lung cancer that starts in the sinuses. This cancer is rare, but it makes up 10% of all lung cancers. It usually begins in the mucus-producing cells and spreads to other body parts, such as your lungs or bones.
They can also be found in the nose and forehead. Some people are predisposed to nasal cancer, including smokers or people with bleeding disorders like hemophilia.
Other factors that can cause this type of cancer are exposure to chemicals or diseases like the Epstein-Barr virus.
The symptoms of nasal cancer are headaches, earache, and difficulty breathing due to blockage in the airway passages.
This cancer can also block your nose from draining fluids out of your sinuses, leading to more infections.
Who is at risk of sinus cancer?
People at a higher risk for developing sinus cancer are those with a history of chronic rhinosinusitis, which is inflammation of parts of the nasal cavity like the nose and sinuses. However, inflammation of the lymph nodes is a rare occurrence.
Other risk factors for nasal cancer are smoking, trauma to the head and neck, radiation treatment for another type of cancer, and exposure to certain chemicals.
Symptoms of sinus cancer
The most common nasal cancer symptoms are persistent or chronic sinus infections.
Other symptoms may include ear pain, frequent nosebleeds, facial pain, and trouble swallowing.
You should be aware of these symptoms if you have a significant loss of hearing or are experiencing other difficulties in your life that prescribed antibiotics cannot resolve.
In addition, it would be best to keep an eye out if you’re coughing up blood or feeling like you’re choking on blood after doing so.
You can also experience the following:
Weight loss
Fatigue
Fever
Night sweats
These are all signs that cancer has progressed to a later stage and the prognosis is not good. If cancer spreads to other parts of the body, like the lymph nodes or the ethmoid sinuses (paranasal sinuses), it has developed to stage ii.
However, suppose cancer has progressed to stage iii, it would have spread from the ethmoid sinus to other distant body parts like the lungs and bones.
Causes of sinus cancer
The most common causes of sinus cancer are:
Smoking
Nasal allergies
Exposure to toxic chemicals
Colds and infections
Any illness that affects the mucus-producing cells in your nose, such as cystic fibrosis or Sjogren’s syndrome.
Lack of oxygen or blood flow to the lining of your sinuses may also trigger the growth of cancerous cells.
Diagnosis of nasal cavity cancer
The symptoms of nasal cavity cancer include a persistent, chronic, or recurrent headache. Suppose you have sinusitis (an infection of your sinuses) or chronic rhinosinusitis (inflammation of the mucous membranes in your nose and sinuses).
You might notice the following:
Itchy eyes
Fatigue
Fever
Cough
However, it is hard to know if these are signs of nasal cavity cancer (including paranasal sinus) because not all people with these symptoms develop this condition.
How is sinus cancer treated?
A nasal cavity or paranasal sinus cancer treatment options depend on how far the cancer has spread.
If the tumor is small, a surgeon may remove it and follow up with chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
If the tumor is large, a surgeon will surgically remove your entire nose and throat area to get rid of the tumor.
In some cases, if your doctor cannot remove the tumor, they may try to manage the disease by using radiation therapy, surgery, or medications.
If you have a sinus tumor or paranasal sinus in one part of your body but not another, you can treat that specific part instead of your whole body.
For example, if you have a sinus tumor in your nose but not in your lungs or brain, you could choose only to treat your nose and stop cancer from spreading through radiation therapy or other options.
What happens if sinus cancer goes untreated?
The symptoms could become more severe and extensive if the sinus tumor or paranasal sinus goes untreated. There are two types of symptoms that can occur as a result.
First, if your tumor is small, it will not cause any problems with your breathing. However, if it is not removed soon enough, your paranasal sinus or tumor can grow larger and make it harder for you to breathe.
Your tumor may also be pressing on other organs, creating problems with those organs and the rest of your body.
However, if you have nasal cancer and remove it before it becomes too large, many people live normally after treatment.
However, if the tumor starts to spread again, you might need treatment to be done again to remove all cancerous cells.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Typically, if the cancer is in the paranasal sinus or nasal cavity, the survival rate in 5 years is 82%. However, if cancer spreads to the parts of the body in close proximity to the sinuses (including the maxillary sinus), the survival rate is 52%. Conclusively, if the cancer has spread to other body parts, the survival rate in 5 years is 43%.
If the tumor is small, it could spread slowly. If it’s significant, other health issues, such as chronic sinusitis, can cause a rapid decline in health.
However, recommended treatment may include chemotherapy and radiation therapy with chemotherapy to reduce potential side effects while maintaining the quality of life. There aren’t many types of lung cancers.
The most common ones include small cell carcinoma, non-small cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma (i.e., non-squamous), lymphoma, and neuroendocrine cancer (i.e., hormone-producing tumors).
These cancers have a wide range of prognoses, and survival time depends on the cancer type and its extent to the surrounding tissues in the nasal cavity.
Yes, a blood test will show nasal cavity or paranasal sinus cancers. Regular blood tests include the following:
- Complete Blood Count (CBC)
- Platelet Count
- Reticulocyte Count (Total – Monocytes – Eosinophils)
- Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)
- Thyroid-Serum
- Total Antibodies
- Thyroid-Free Thyroxine (T4)
- Iodine – Unbolted Thyroid
- Total T4 & T3
In rare cases, yes, it may be. However, most non-small cell lung carcinomas are slow-growing and usually not life-threatening.
They will typically grow slowly over some time. Treatment options may include surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy.
The best treatment for this type of cancer is usually determined by the location of the cancer. If it is in the maxillary sinus, your doctor will recommend surgery with or without radiation therapy. Cancer in the sphenoid sinus is typically treated with radiation therapy.
Scientists continue to conduct cancer clinical trials in search of more reliable treatment options for paranasal sinuses and nasal cancer. Every treatment option approved by the CDC and other cancer care centers has undergone extensive clinical trials. Essentially, some cancer centers conduct clinical trials on emerging treatments, safety, and effectiveness of new paranasal sinus and nasal cancer treatments.
