Overview

Cancer begins when cells in the body become abnormal and multiply without control or order. These cells form a growth of tissue, called a tumor. A tumor can be benign or malignant. A benign tumor is not cancerous and usually can be removed without growing back. A malignant tumor is cancerous and can invade and damage the body’s healthy tissues and organs.

Nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancer is a malignant tumor that begins in the inside of the nose or paranasal cavities around the nose. The nasal cavity is the space just behind the nose where air passes on the way to the throat. The paranasal sinuses are air-filled areas that surround the nasal cavity on the cheeks (maxillary sinuses), above and between the eyes (ethmoid and frontal sinuses), and behind the ethmoids (sphenoid sinuses). The maxillary sinus is the most common location of paranasal sinus cancer.

Types of nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancer

The nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses contain several types of tissue, and each contains several types of cells. Different cancers can develop in each kind of cell. The differences are important because they determine how aggressive the cancer is and the type of treatment needed.

The nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses are lined by a layer of mucus-producing tissue with the following cell types: squamous epithelial cells, minor salivary gland cells, nerve cells, infection- fighting cells, and blood vessel cells. Some tumor types found in these cells and tissues include the following:

Squamous cell carcinoma. This is the most common form of nasal cavity and sinus cancer. Squamous cells are flat cells that make up the thin, surface layer of the structures of the head and neck.

Adenocarcinoma. Beginning in the gland cells, this is the second most common form of nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancer.

Malignant melanoma. Arising from cells called melanocytes that give the skin its color, this is an aggressive cancer, but it only accounts for about 1% of tumors in this area of the body. Learn more about melanoma.

Inverting papilloma. Benign, wart-like growths may develop into squamous cell carcinoma. Approximately 10% to 15% of these can develop into cancer.

Esthesioneuroblastoma. Related to the nerves that control the sense of smell, this type of cancer occurs on the roof of the nasal cavity and involves a structure called the cribriform plate, a bone deep in the skull between the eyes and the sinuses. It needs to be distinguished from neuroendocrine cancer, which looks similar.

Midline granuloma. This refers to a group of several unrelated conditions that cause breakdown of the normal tissue of the nose, sinuses, and nearby tissues. Some cases are due to immune system problems, and many others are actually a type of lymphoma (a cancer of the lymph system).

Lymphoma. This is a type of cancer that originates from the lymph tissue within the mucosa (lining) of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses.

Sarcoma. Sarcoma is a type of cancer that begins in muscle, connective tissue, or bone.

Nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancer are among the major types of cancer in the head and neck region, a grouping called head and neck cancer.

Find out more about basic cancer terms used in this section.