Cancer of the Nasal Cavity and Paranasal Sinuses

Cancer of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses is rare comprising less than 1% of all human malignancies. The maxillary antrum is the most frequently involved site. Tumor histology is very diverse with varying biological aggressiveness. Epithelial tumors constitute more than two-thirds of those tumors where squamous carcinoma is the most common. Early tumors present with nonspecific signs and symptoms. A high index of suspicion with the liberal use of CT scans may identify such early cases. There is an estimated average delay of 6–8 months between the first symptom and diagnosis which renders 70–80% of patients presenting at an advanced stage disease. Preoperative biopsy and a definitive histopathological diagnosis are mandatory before deciding on any treatment. The treatment of sinonasal malignancies is multimodal in most instances where surgical resection plays a very important role in management for most histopathological types. Open surgical approaches remain the golden standard of management, however recently there was an increasing role of endoscopic resection of such tumors as studies have demonstrated comparable results with open approaches in selected cases.