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Nasal cavity cancer

What Is Nasal Cavity and Paranasal Sinus Cancer?

The malignant tumors in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses are called nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses cancer. The paranasal sinuses included the maxillary sinus, ethmoid sinus, sphenoid sinus, and frontal sinus. Nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancer is rare among head and neck cancers. The early symptoms are similar to those of chronic rhinitis and sinusitis, so early diagnosis is not easy. Nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancer occur most often in the elderly, with more male patients than female.

Treatment of Nasal Cavity and Paranasal Sinus Cancer

The main methods of treatment for nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancer are surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. The choice of treatment depends on the tumor stage and the condition of the patient. In early nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancer it can be surgically cured. However, radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy may be a treatment choice if the patient is not suitable for or refuses surgery. The treatment for advanced nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancer is more complicated, and the combination of surgery and postoperative radiation therapy and chemotherapy is generally recommended. Radiation therapy alone could still be given for local tumor control and relief of symptoms if the patient is not suitable for chemotherapy.

Radiotherapy for Nasal Cavity and Paranasal Sinus Cancer

Radiation therapy employs X-ray treatment or proton therapy, through well-designed treatment planning, administer in high doses to the tumor and regional lymph nodes. With the advance of radiotherapy technology, such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), and RapidArc, the side effects are reduced. Due to the physical characteristics of the proton, proton therapy can reduce unnecessary radiation doses to the normal tissues, improve the quality of radiation therapy, and can reduce the radiation doses to the eyes and the brain, thereby reducing the side effects of radiation therapy.

Article author: Dr. Tsung-Min Hong