Paranasal (i.e. near the nose) sinus and nasal cavity cancer is a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the tissues of the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity. Signs and symptoms can include, amongst others, sinus problems, headaches or pain in the sinus area, and frequent nosebleeds.
The most common type of paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer is squamous cell carcinoma though melanomas and sarcomas amongst others are also observed. Prognosis and treatment depends on where the tumour is located precisely and whether it has spread and of course the size of the tumour, the type of cancer, the patient’s age and general health.
Paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancers have often spread by the time they are diagnosed and are hard to cure. After treatment, a lifetime of frequent follow up checks are essential because of the increased risk of developing a secondary cancer in head or neck. As with many of the conditions we can detect through an Echelon Health Preventative Health Assessment, early detection and prevention is more effective than cure.