Nasal Cavity and Paranasal Sinus Cancer

Nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancer is uncommon. Each year, about 2,000 people are diagnosed with nasal cavity or paranasal sinus cancer in the United States. Cancer of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinus is found slightly more in men than in women, and it tends to occur in people at least 45 years old.

The five-year survival rate (the percentage of people who survive at least five years after the cancer is detected, excluding those who die from other diseases) of people with nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancer varies by stage as described in the table below. Stage I means that the cancer hasn’t spread outside the nasal cavity, and stage IV means that the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body. Learn more about staging.

Cancer survival statistics should be interpreted with caution. These estimates are based on data from thousands of people with this type of cancer in the United States each year, but the actual risk for a particular individual may differ. It is not possible to tell a person how long he or she will live with nasal cavity or paranasal sinus cancer. Because the survival statistics are measured in five-year intervals, they may not represent advances made in the treatment or diagnosis of this cancer. Learn more about understanding statistics.

Statistics adapted from the American Cancer Society.