Key points about nasal polyps They are a type of chronic rhinosinusitis. This is an inflammation of the nasal cavity and sinuses. True nasal polyps are not cancer. Certain health conditions are more common in people with nasal polyps.
When many people hear the word “polyps,” they quickly think of cancer. After all, polyps in the colon can sometimes turn into colon cancer. However, it's important to remember that nasal polyps are typically harmless and benign (non-cancerous).
Are nasal polyps dangerous? There is no evidence that nasal polyps are life-threatening. However, they can be a big inconvenience and can interfere with the normal drainage and ventilation of your sinuses. The mucus produced by the sinuses is meant to wash away irritants and contaminants from the nasal passages.
“If left untreated, polyps can grow and obstruct the openings of the sinuses into the nasal cavity, causing difficulty sleeping, postnasal drip, fatigue and facial pressure,” he says. Your doctor can help you decide which treatment options may work best for you.
Seek immediate medical care or call 911 or your local emergency number if you experience: Serious trouble breathing. Sudden worsening of your symptoms. Double vision, reduced vision or limited ability to move your eyes.
Stage 1. If you have stage 1 cancer of the nasal cavity, the tumour is only in one part of the nasal cavity, but it may have grown into the bones of the nasal cavity. The cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
About nasal and sinus cancer
Nasal and sinus cancer is a rare type of cancer that most often affects men aged 50 to 60.
If the cancer is located only in the nasal cavity or paranasal sinus, the 5-year relative survival rate is 86%. If the cancer has spread to nearby tissues or organs and/or to regional lymph nodes, the 5-year relative survival rate is 52%.
Most sinus cancers originate in the paranasal sinuses, with 60-70 percent developing within the maxillary sinuses in the cheekbones. Up to 30 percent of sinus cancers form in the nasal cavity.
Less commonly, nasal polyps cause problems from more dangerous infections such as: Infection of the tissue around the brain and spinal cord (meningitis)
Cancerous nasal cavity or sinus tumors are rare, with only about 2,000 being diagnosed in the United States each year. Men are more likely to get sinus cancer than women. The most common age for diagnosis of the condition is in the 50s and 60s. Smoking is a major risk factor for nose and sinus cancer.
Your doctor can't usually tell, simply by looking at a polyp during a colonoscopy, if it's cancerous. But if a polyp is found during your colonoscopy, your doctor will remove it and send it to a lab for a biopsy to check for cancerous or precancerous cells.
The doctor will then send any removed polyps to a pathologist for a biopsy to see if cancer is present. If the biopsy reveals that cancer is present, then cancer specialists will outline a treatment plan for the person. Common treatments for colon cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.
Polyps can be confused with acute rhinosinusitis, CRS, allergic rhinitis, and nonallergic rhinitis. Sometimes, polyps can appear on only one side.
Nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancers can often be cured, especially if found early. Although curing the cancer is the primary goal of treatment, preserving the function of the nearby nerves, organs, and tissues is also very important.
Sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma (SNUC) is a rare and aggressive type of neuroendocrine cancer in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinus. It grows very quickly and spreads to other parts of the body, such as the liver and lungs. SNUC is often treated with chemoradiation followed by surgery.
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.
Symptoms of nasal and sinus cancer
a blocked nose that does not go away and usually only affects 1 side. nosebleeds. a decreased sense of smell. mucus running from your nose – this can be bloody.
The physical examination is important, and doctors may perform 1 or more of the tests listed below to reach a diagnosis. There are no specific blood or urine tests that can be performed to help make an early diagnosis of nasal cavity or paranasal sinus cancer.
Encephalitis: This results when the infection spreads to your brain tissue. Encephalitis may not have obvious symptoms beyond a headache, fever, or weakness. But more severe cases can lead to confusion, hallucinations, seizures, difficulty speaking, paralysis, or loss consciousness.
Nasal polyps are soft, painless, noncancerous growths lining the nose or sinuses. They happen most often in people with asthma, allergies, repeat infections or inflammation in the nasal passages. Medication and outpatient surgery can shrink nasal polyps and relieve symptoms.
Nasal polyps are small, inflammatory growths that develop in the nasal passages or sinuses. Polyps can vary in size and severity. Uncontrolled polyp growth can damage the sinuses, take away your sense of smell, damage your eyes and vision and even affect the shape of your face.
Chronic Sinusitis Symptoms
For a person with allergies and polyps, a “bad allergy day” will frequently cause the polyps to swell more and cause more symptoms. Likewise, treating a patient's allergies will often cause the polyps to shrink somewhat and may give some relief from the blockage.