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Treatment Option Overview
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There are different types of treatment for patients with
paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer.
Different types of treatment are available for patients with paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer. Some treatments are standard (the currently
used treatment), and some are being tested in clinical trials. Before starting treatment,
patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. A treatment
clinical trial is a research study meant to help improve current treatments or
obtain information on new treatments for patients with cancer. When clinical
trials show that a new treatment is better than the
standard treatment, the new
treatment may become the standard treatment.
Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country.
Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the
NCI Web site. Choosing the most appropriate cancer treatment is a
decision that ideally involves the patient, family, and health care
team.
Patients with paranasal sinus and nasal
cavity cancer should have their treatment planned by a team of doctors with expertise in treating head and neck cancer.
Treatment will be overseen by a medical oncologist, a doctor who specializes in treating people with cancer. The medical oncologist works with other doctors who are experts in treating patients with head and neck cancer and who specialize in certain areas of medicine and rehabilitation. Patients who have paranasal sinus and nasal
cavity cancer may need special help
adjusting to breathing problems or other side effects of the cancer and its treatment. If a large amount of tissue or bone around the paranasal sinuses or nasal cavity is taken out, plastic surgery may be done to repair or rebuild the area. The treatment team may include the following specialists:
Three types of standard treatment are used:
Surgery
Surgery (removing the cancer in an operation) is a common
treatment for all stages of
paranasal sinus and nasal cavity cancer. A doctor may remove the cancer and
some of the healthy tissue and bone around the cancer. If the cancer
has spread, the doctor may remove lymph nodes and other tissues in the
neck.
Even if the doctor removes all the cancer that can be seen at the
time of the surgery, some patients may be given chemotherapy or radiation therapy after surgery to kill any cancer cells that are left. Treatment given
after surgery, to increase the chances of a cure, is called adjuvant therapy.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. There are two types of radiation therapy. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer. The total dose of radiation therapy is sometimes divided into several smaller, equal doses delivered over a period of several days.
This is called fractionation. Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer. The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
External radiation therapy to the thyroid or the pituitary gland may change the way the thyroid
gland works. The thyroid gland may be tested before and after
treatment.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly into the spinal column, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy). Combination chemotherapy is treatment using more than one anticancer drug.
The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
New types of treatment are being tested in clinical
trials.
Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the
NCI Web site.
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