Malignant Tumours of the Nose and Paranasal Cavities

Overview

Malignant tumors of the nose and paranasal cavities belong to tumors of low incidence. Olderpeople are at higher risk.Themean age in the group of patients treated at the Oto-laryngologicalClinic ofFNKVwas 69 years with slightly prevailing men.The tumor is usually localized mostlyin maxillary sinus, nasal cavity and in olfactory alveoli (57%, 22% and 21%, respectively in ourcohort). From the histological point of view the diagnosis was, in descending order, pavementepithelium carcinoma, non-differentiated carcinoma, adenoid-cystic carcinoma and adenocarcinoma(28%, 18%, 12% and 6%, respectively). Malignant melanoma was observed in 18%cases. Clinical manifestation of the disease is usually preceded by a long, clinically silent period,when the sign of the disease are uncertain or missing. This is the main cause of late diagnosisand subsequently unfavorable results of therapy. In our cohort of patients in the clinic about50% survived five years. The therapy of tumors of the nose and paranasal cavities is usuallymulti-modal in nature, while surgery is considered to be decisive. Any improvement of thetherapeutic outcome needs an accelerated diagnosis, which requires an “oncological” educationand vigilance, supported by knowledge of symptomatology in tumors of the nose and paranasalcavities.

Key words:
malignant tumors – nose – paranasal cavities – therapy – diagnosis.