Causes of Paranasal Sinus and Nasal Cancer

Risk Factors for Cancer of the Paranasal Sinus and Nasal Cavity

There is no way to know for sure if you're going to get paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer. Certain factors can make you more likely than someone else to get it. These are called risk factors. However, just because you have one or more risk factors doesn't mean you will get cancer. In fact, you can have all the risk factors and still not get it. Or you can have no known risk factors and get it.

People who are exposed to mustard gas, isopropyl oils, volatile hydrocarbons, or metals like nickel and chromium (which occurs most commonly in the leather tanning, nickel mining and carpentry industries) have an increased risk of developing paranasal sinus cancer. Chronic sinusitis may also increase the risk of developing the disease.

In addition, tobacco use increases the risk of developing the most common form of paranasal sinus cancer (squamous cell carcinoma) although tobacco's role in other types of paranasal sinus cancer is less clear.