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This PDQ cancer information summary has current information about the treatment of adult paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer. It is meant to inform and help patients, families, and caregivers. It does not give formal guidelines or recommendations for making decisions about health care.
Editorial Boards write the PDQ cancer information summaries and keep them up to date. These Boards are made up of experts in cancer treatment and other specialties related to cancer. The summaries are reviewed regularly and changes are made when there is new information. The date on each summary ("Date Last Modified") is the date of the most recent change. The information in this patient summary was taken from the health professional version, which is reviewed regularly and updated as needed, by the PDQ Adult Treatment Editorial Board.
CONTENTS
- General Information About Paranasal Sinus and Nasal Cavity Cancer
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Paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity.
Paranasal sinuses
"Paranasal" means near the nose. The para sinuses are hollow, air-filled spaces in the bones around the nose. The sinuses are lined with cells that make mucus, which keeps the inside of the nose from drying out during breathing.
Anatomy of the paranasal sinuses (spaces between the bones around the nose). There are several para sinuses named after the bones that surround them:
Nasal cavity
The nose opens into the nasal cavity, which is divided into two nasal passages. Air moves through these passages during breathing. The nasal cavity lies above the bone that forms the roof of the mouth and curves down at the back to join the throat. The area just inside the nostrils is called the nasal vestibule. A small area of special cells in the roof of each nasal passage sends signals to the brain to give the sense of smell.
Together the paranasal sinuses and the nasal cavity filter and warm the air, and make it moist before it goes into the lungs. The movement of air through the sinuses and other parts of the respiratory system help make sounds for talking.
Paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer is a type of head and neck cancer.
Different types of cells in the paranasal sinus and nasal cavity may become malignant.
The most common type of paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer is squamous cell carcinoma. This type of cancer forms in the thin, flat cells lining the inside of the paranasal sinuses and the nasal cavity.
Other types of paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer include the following:
Being exposed to certain chemicals or dust in the workplace can increase the risk of paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer.
Anything that increases your chance of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Having a risk factor does not mean that you will get cancer; not having risk factors doesn’t mean that you will not get cancer. Talk with your doctor if you think you may be at risk. Risk factors for paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer include the following:
Signs and symptoms of paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer include sinus problems and nosebleeds.
These and other signs and symptoms may be caused by paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer or by other conditions. There may be no signs or symptoms in the early stages. Signs and symptoms may appear as the tumor grows. Check with your doctor if you have any of the following:
Tests that examine the sinuses and nasal cavity are used to diagnose paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer.
The following tests and procedures may be used:
Certain factors affect prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options.
The prognosis and treatment options depend on the following:
Paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancers often have spread by the time they are diagnosed and are hard to cure. After treatment, a lifetime of frequent and careful follow-up is important because there is an increased risk of developing a second kind of cancer in the head or neck.
- Stages of Paranasal Sinus and Nasal Cavity Cancer
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After paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer has been diagnosed, tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity or to other parts of the body.
The process used to find out if cancer has spread within the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity or to other parts of the body is called staging. The information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease. It is important to know the stage in order to plan treatment. The following tests and procedures may be used in the staging process:
There are three ways that cancer spreads in the body.
Cancer can spread through tissue, the lymph system, and the blood:
Cancer may spread from where it began to other parts of the body.
When cancer spreads to another part of the body, it is called metastasis. Cancer cells break away from where they began (the primary tumor) and travel through the lymph system or blood.
The metastatic tumor is the same type of cancer as the primary tumor. For example, if nasal cavity cancer spreads to the lung, the cancer cells in the lung are actually nasal cavity cancer cells. The disease is metastatic nasal cavity cancer, not lung cancer.
There is no standard staging system for cancer of the sphenoid and frontal sinuses.
The staging described below for the maxillary and ethmoid sinuses and the nasal cavity is only used for patients who have not had lymph nodes in the neck removed and checked for signs of cancer.
Tumor sizes are often measured in centimeters (cm) or inches. Common food items that can be used to show tumor size in cm include: a pea (1 cm), a peanut (2 cm), a grape (3 cm), a walnut (4 cm), a lime (5 cm or 2 inches), an egg (6 cm), a peach (7 cm), and a grapefruit (10 cm or 4 inches). The following stages are used for maxillary sinus cancer:
Stage 0 (Carcinoma in Situ)
In stage 0, abnormal cells are found in the mucous membranes lining the maxillary sinus. These abnormal cells may become cancer and spread into nearby normal tissue. Stage 0 is also called carcinoma in situ.
Stage I
In stage I, cancer has formed in the mucous membranes of the maxillary sinus.
Stage II
In stage II, cancer has spread to bone around the maxillary sinus, including the roof of the mouth and the nose, but not to bone at the back of the maxillary sinus or the part of the sphenoid bone behind the upper jaw.
Stage III
In stage III, cancer has spread to any of the following:
or
Cancer is found in the maxillary sinus and may have spread to any of the following:
Cancer has also spread to one lymph node on the same side of the neck as the cancer, and the lymph node is 3 centimeters or smaller.
Stage IV
Stage IV is divided into stages IVA, IVB, and IVC.
Stage IVA
In stage IVA, cancer has spread to any of the following:
Cancer may have also spread to one lymph node on the same side of the neck as the cancer, and the lymph node is 3 centimeters or smaller.
or
Cancer is found in the maxillary sinus and may have spread to any of the following:
Cancer has also spread to one of the following:
Stage IVB
In stage IVB, cancer has spread to any of the following:
Cancer may have also spread to one or more lymph nodes of any size, anywhere in the neck.
or
Cancer may be found anywhere in or near the maxillary sinus. Cancer has spread to a lymph node that is larger than 6 centimeters or has spread through the outside covering of a lymph node into nearby connective tissue.
The following stages are used for nasal cavity and ethmoid sinus cancer:
Stage 0 (Carcinoma in Situ)
In stage 0, abnormal cells are found in the mucous membranes lining the nasal cavity or ethmoid sinus. These abnormal cells may become cancer and spread into nearby normal tissue. Stage 0 is also called carcinoma in situ.
Stage I
In stage I, cancer has formed and is found in only one area of either the nasal cavity or the ethmoid sinus and may have spread into bone.
Stage II
In stage II, cancer is found in two areas of either the nasal cavity or the ethmoid sinus that are near each other, or cancer has spread to an area next to the sinuses. Cancer may also have spread into bone.
Stage III
In stage III, cancer has spread to any of the following:
or
Cancer is found in the nasal cavity or ethmoid sinus and may have spread to any of the following:
Cancer has also spread to one lymph node on the same side of the neck as the cancer, and the lymph node is 3 centimeters or smaller.
Stage IV
Stage IV is divided into stages IVA, IVB, and IVC.
Stage IVA
In stage IVA, cancer has spread to any of the following:
Cancer may have also spread to one lymph node on the same side of the neck as the cancer, and the lymph node is 3 centimeters or smaller.
or
Cancer is found in the nasal cavity or ethmoid sinus and may have spread to any of the following:
Cancer has also spread to one of the following:
Stage IVB
In stage IVB, cancer has spread to any of the following:
Cancer may have also spread to one or more lymph nodes of any size, anywhere in the neck.
or
Cancer may be found anywhere in or near the nasal cavity and ethmoid sinus. Cancer has spread to a lymph node that is larger than 6 centimeters or has spread through the outside covering of a lymph node into nearby connective tissue.
After surgery, the stage of the cancer may change and more treatment may be needed.
If the cancer is removed by surgery, a pathologist will examine a sample of the cancer tissue under a microscope. Sometimes, the pathologist’s review results in a change to the stage of the cancer and more treatment is needed after surgery.
Paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer can recur (come back) after it has been treated.
The cancer may come back in the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity or in other parts of the body.
- Treatment Option Overview
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There are different types of treatment for patients with paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer.
Different types of treatment are available for patients with paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer. Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some are being tested in clinical trials. A treatment clinical trial is a research study meant to help improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients with cancer. When clinical trials show that a new treatment is better than the standard treatment, the new treatment may become the standard treatment. Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. Some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment.
Patients with paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer should have their treatment planned by a team of doctors with expertise in treating head and neck cancer.
Treatment will be overseen by a medical oncologist, a doctor who specializes in treating people with cancer. The medical oncologist works with other doctors who are experts in treating patients with head and neck cancer and who specialize in certain areas of medicine and rehabilitation. Patients who have paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer may need special help adjusting to breathing problems or other side effects of the cancer and its treatment. If a large amount of tissue or bone around the paranasal sinuses or nasal cavity is taken out, plastic surgery may be done to repair or rebuild the area. The treatment team may include the following specialists:
Three types of standard treatment are used:
Surgery
Surgery (removing the cancer in an operation) is a common treatment for all stages of paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer. A doctor may remove the cancer and some of the healthy tissue and bone around the cancer. If the cancer has spread, the doctor may remove lymph nodes and other tissues in the neck.
After the doctor removes all the cancer that can be seen at the time of the surgery, some patients may be given chemotherapy or radiation therapy after surgery to kill any cancer cells that are left. Treatment given after the surgery, to lower the risk that the cancer will come back, is called adjuvant therapy.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. There are two types of radiation therapy:
The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated. External and internal radiation therapy are used to treat paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer.
External radiation therapy to the thyroid or the pituitary gland may change the way the thyroid gland works. The thyroid hormone levels in the blood may be tested before and after treatment.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly into the cerebrospinal fluid, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy). Combination chemotherapy is treatment using more than one anticancer drug.
The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
See Drugs Approved for Head and Neck Cancer for more information. (Paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer is a type of head and neck cancer.)
New types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials.
Information about clinical trials is available from the NCI website.
Treatment for paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer may cause side effects.
For information about side effects caused by treatment for cancer, see our Side Effects page.
Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial.
For some patients, taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice. Clinical trials are part of the cancer research process. Clinical trials are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard treatment.
Many of today's standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials. Patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new treatment.
Patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future. Even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments, they often answer important questions and help move research forward.
Patients can enter clinical trials before, during, or after starting their cancer treatment.
Some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received treatment. Other trials test treatments for patients whose cancer has not gotten better. There are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop cancer from recurring (coming back) or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment.
Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country. Information about clinical trials supported by NCI can be found on NCI’s clinical trials search webpage. Clinical trials supported by other organizations can be found on the ClinicalTrials.gov website.
Follow-up tests may be needed.
Some of the tests that were done to diagnose the cancer or to find out the stage of the cancer may be repeated. Some tests will be repeated in order to see how well the treatment is working. Decisions about whether to continue, change, or stop treatment may be based on the results of these tests.
Some of the tests will continue to be done from time to time after treatment has ended. The results of these tests can show if your condition has changed or if the cancer has recurred (come back). These tests are sometimes called follow-up tests or check-ups.
- Treatment of Stage I Paranasal Sinus and Nasal Cavity Cancer
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For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.
Treatment of stage I paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer depends on where cancer is found in the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity:
Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.
- Treatment of Stage II Paranasal Sinus and Nasal Cavity Cancer
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For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.
Treatment of stage II paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer depends on where cancer is found in the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity:
Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.
- Treatment of Stage III Paranasal Sinus and Nasal Cavity Cancer
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For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.
Treatment of stage III paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer depends on where cancer is found in the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity.
If cancer is in the maxillary sinus, treatment may include the following:
If cancer is in the ethmoid sinus, treatment may include the following:
If cancer is in the sphenoid sinus, treatment is the same as for nasopharyngeal cancer, usually radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy. (See the PDQ summary on Nasopharyngeal Cancer Treatment (Adult) for more information.)
If cancer is in the nasal cavity, treatment may include the following:
For inverting papillomas, treatment is usually surgery with or without radiation therapy.
For melanomas and sarcomas, treatment may include the following:
For midline granulomas, treatment is usually radiation therapy.
If cancer is in the nasal vestibule, treatment may include the following:
Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.
- Treatment of Stage IV Paranasal Sinus and Nasal Cavity Cancer
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For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.
Treatment of stage IV paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer depends on where cancer is found in the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity.
If cancer is in the maxillary sinus, treatment may include the following:
If cancer is in the ethmoid sinus, treatment may include the following:
If cancer is in the sphenoid sinus, treatment is the same as for nasopharyngeal cancer, usually radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy. (See the PDQ summary on Nasopharyngeal Cancer Treatment (Adult) for more information.)
If cancer is in the nasal cavity, treatment may include the following:
For inverting papillomas, treatment is usually surgery with or without radiation therapy.
For melanomas and sarcomas, treatment may include the following:
For midline granulomas, treatment is usually radiation therapy.
If cancer is in the nasal vestibule, treatment may include the following:
Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.
- Treatment of Recurrent Paranasal Sinus and Nasal Cavity Cancer
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For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.
Treatment of recurrent paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer depends on where cancer is found in the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity.
If cancer is in the maxillary sinus, treatment may include the following:
If cancer is in the ethmoid sinus, treatment may include the following:
If cancer is in the sphenoid sinus, treatment is the same as for nasopharyngeal cancer and may include radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy. (See the PDQ summary on Nasopharyngeal Cancer Treatment (Adult) for more information.)
If cancer is in the nasal cavity, treatment may include the following:
For inverting papillomas, treatment is usually surgery with or without radiation therapy.
For melanomas and sarcomas, treatment may include the following:
For midline granulomas, treatment is usually radiation therapy.
If cancer is in the nasal vestibule, treatment may include the following:
Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.
- To Learn More About Paranasal Sinus and Nasal Cavity Cancer
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For more information from the National Cancer Institute about paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer, see the following:
For general cancer information and other resources from the National Cancer Institute, see the following:
- About This PDQ Summary
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About PDQ
Physician Data Query (PDQ) is the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) comprehensive cancer information database. The PDQ database contains summaries of the latest published information on cancer prevention, detection, genetics, treatment, supportive care, and complementary and alternative medicine. Most summaries come in two versions. The health professional versions have detailed information written in technical language. The patient versions are written in easy-to-understand, nontechnical language. Both versions have cancer information that is accurate and up to date and most versions are also available in Spanish.
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Purpose of This Summary
This PDQ cancer information summary has current information about the treatment of adult paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer. It is meant to inform and help patients, families, and caregivers. It does not give formal guidelines or recommendations for making decisions about health care.
Reviewers and Updates
Editorial Boards write the PDQ cancer information summaries and keep them up to date. These Boards are made up of experts in cancer treatment and other specialties related to cancer. The summaries are reviewed regularly and changes are made when there is new information. The date on each summary ("Updated") is the date of the most recent change.
The information in this patient summary was taken from the health professional version, which is reviewed regularly and updated as needed, by the PDQ Adult Treatment Editorial Board.
Clinical Trial Information
A clinical trial is a study to answer a scientific question, such as whether one treatment is better than another. Trials are based on past studies and what has been learned in the laboratory. Each trial answers certain scientific questions in order to find new and better ways to help cancer patients. During treatment clinical trials, information is collected about the effects of a new treatment and how well it works. If a clinical trial shows that a new treatment is better than one currently being used, the new treatment may become "standard." Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. Some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment.
Clinical trials can be found online at NCI's website. For more information, call the Cancer Information Service (CIS), NCI's contact center, at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).
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PDQ® Adult Treatment Editorial Board. PDQ Paranasal Sinus and Nasal Cavity Cancer Treatment (Adult). Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute. Updated <MM/DD/YYYY>. Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/types/head-and-neck/patient/adult/paranasal-sinus-treatment-pdq. Accessed <MM/DD/YYYY>. [PMID: 26389439]
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