What are the symptoms of nasal tumors

Nasal tumors refer to disgusting tumors that occur in the nasal cavity, also known as nasal cancer. The cause of the disease is related to many factors, including genetics, chronic inflammatory stimulation, environmental pollution, etc. Nasal tumors are generally difficult to pay attention to, mainly because they have many similar symptoms to rhinitis in the early stages and are easily misdiagnosed. They are often discovered in the middle and late stages. In addition to nasal congestion and nosebleeds, the main manifestations may also involve facial or vision problems.

Malignant lesions of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses are relatively common, ranking fifth among systemic malignant tumors according to domestic statistics, while nasopharyngeal carcinoma has become the top tumor in high-incidence areas. Nasal cancer is associated with the following factors:

Chronic inflammatory stimulus

Most patients with cancer have a history of chronic rhinitis and sinusitis for many years, which causes the nasal mucosa to be irritated for a long time and metaplasia into squamous epithelium, forming the basis for cancer.

Malignant transformation of benign tumor

For example, granulomas caused by rhinosclerosis, fungal diseases, nasal polyps, and inverted papilloma of the nasal cavity can all become cancerous.

Exposure to carcinogens

Long-term contact and inhalation of nickel, arsenic, chromium and their compounds; long-term contact with hardwood chips and softwood dust; and chronic irritation from exposure to chlorophenol coatings, a wood protectant.

Viral factors

Epstein-Barr virus has been found to be the main pathogenic factor of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Nasal cancer is usually discovered in the late stages, so be careful not to mistake it for rhinitis. If you have the following symptoms, you need to be alert and it is recommended that you go to the hospital in time to rule out nasal malignancy: a small amount of blood in the nasal discharge; often poor ventilation on one side of the nostril; accompanied by tinnitus or ear closure, hearing loss, numbness on one side of the face, or facial swelling, etc. If necessary, perform nasal endoscopy or CT examination of the nasal cavity and sinuses to avoid delaying treatment.

In the past, surgery was performed to completely remove the maxillary bone on the affected side, and sometimes the eyeball was also removed. However, recently, the maxilla has been preserved as much as possible through the combined use of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and tumor reduction surgery.

Treatment methods vary somewhat depending on the situation at each hospital. Generally, radiation therapy is given 4 to 5 times a week in combination with chemotherapy. During this period, once the necrotic tissue in the maxillary sinus is confirmed, it can be removed by suction. If the tumor disappears completely, no treatment is necessary. If there is a small amount of tumor left, partial resection can be performed.

However, if the tumor can be clearly seen with the naked eye or CT scan, extended reconstruction surgery may be necessary. The reconstruction method varies according to the extent of the surgery. When the eyeball is removed, it is not enough to simply cover the defect, and reconstruction surgery such as bone transplantation and installation of artificial eyes is necessary. In addition, when the tumor progresses to the skull base, not only can the traditional surgical method of performing surgery from outside the skull be used, but recently, with the assistance of neurosurgery and plastic surgery, it can be removed as a block from inside the skull.