Health Topic

Nasal Cancer

Cancer of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses is rare, but you are at a greater risk if you are a smoker. Learn other factors increase your risk.

Reviewed Reviewed by a registered pharmacistGeneral information

Also called: Cancer of the nasal cavity · Cancer of the paranasal sinus

Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.

About Nasal Cancer

Your paranasal sinuses are small hollow spaces around the nose. They are lined with cells that make mucus, which keeps your nose from drying out. The nasal cavity is the passageway just behind your nose. Air passes through it on the way to your throat as you breathe.

Cancer of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses is rare. You are at greater risk if you are:

  • Male and over 40 years old
  • Exposed to certain workplace chemicals
  • Infected with HPV
  • A smoker

There may be no symptoms at first, and later symptoms can be like those of infections. Doctors diagnose nasal cancer with imaging tests, lighted tube-like instruments that look inside the nose, and biopsies. Treatment options include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

It sits within Cancers and Ear, Nose and Throat.

The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Cancer Institute.

When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.

Research on Nasal Cancer

616 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.

What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.

Research currently under way

Research already completed

Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.

Where to read more

Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.

Start Here

Diagnosis and Tests

Prevention and Risk Factors

Living With

Related Issues

Statistics and Research

Clinical Trials

Medical subject headings

Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Nose Neoplasms. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.

This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Nasal Cancer, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.