Medical Centric

NASAL AND PARANASAL TUMORS

Men's Health, Women's Health / By

NASAL AND PARANASAL TUMORS

  • Nasal and paranasal tumors are abnormal growths that begin in and around the passageway within your nose.
  • Nasal tumors begin in the nasal cavity.
  • Paranasal tumors begin in air-filled chambers around the nose called the paranasal sinuses.
  • Nasal and paranasal tumors can either be noncancerous or cancerous.
  • Several types of nasal and paranasal tumors exist.

SYMPTOMS

Possible signs and symptoms of these cancers (often only on one side) include:

  • Nasal congestion and stuffiness that doesn’t get better or even worsens
  • 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
  • A lump or mass on the face, palate (top of the mouth), or inside the nose
  • Constant watery eyes
  • Bulging of one eye
  • Loss or change in vision
  • 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)
  • Pus draining from the nose
  • Problems with your sense of smell
  • Numbness or pain in parts of the face
  • Loosening or numbness of teeth

CAUSES

  • Nasal and paranasal tumors form when a genetic mutation turns normal, healthy cells into abnormal cells.
  • Healthy cells grow and multiply at a set rate, eventually dying at a set time.
  • Abnormal cells grow and multiply out of control, and they don’t die.
  • The accumulating abnormal cells form a mass (tumor).
  • If the abnormal cells become cancerous, they might invade nearby tissues and separate from an initial tumor to spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body.

DIAGNOSIS

  • Using an endoscopic camera to see inside your nasal cavity and sinuses.
  • Collecting a sample of cells for testing (biopsy).
  • Imaging tests to create pictures of your nasal cavity and sinuses.

 

TREATMENT

Surgery
  1. Open Surgery
  2. Minimally Invasive Surgery
    Radiation Therapy

    Palliative care – Palliative care is specialized medical care that focuses on providing relief from pain and other symptoms of a serious illness.

RISK FACTORS

Factors that may increase the risk of nasal and paranasal tumors include:

  • Smoking and being around people who are smoking
  • Breathing in air pollution
  • Long-term exposure to chemicals and irritants in the air at work
  • Infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), which is a common sexually transmitted infection

PREVENTION

To reduce your risk of nasal and paranasal tumors, you can:

  • Stop smoking
  • Protect yourself from fumes and irritants in the air