Nasal and paranasal sinus cancer
Doctors usually work out the outlook for a certain disease by looking at large groups of people. Because this cancer is less common, survival is harder to estimate than for other, more common cancers.
Some of the statistics have to be based on a small number of people. Remember, they can't tell you what will happen in your individual case.
The terms 1 year survival and 5 year survival don't mean that you will only live for 1 or 5 years.
The NHS, other health organisations, and researchers collect information. They record what happens to people with cancer in the years after their diagnosis. 5 years is a common time point to measure survival. But some people live much longer than this.
5 year survival is the number of people who have not died from their cancer within 5 years after diagnosis.
The stage of a cancer tells you about its size and whether it has spread. Your outlook (prognosis) depends on the stage of your cancer at diagnosis. Read more about the stages for nasal and paranasal sinus cancer There are survival statistics available for the different stages of nasal and paranasal cancer in England. But there are no UK-wide statistics for people with these cancers that also include Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. These statistics are for people diagnosed in England between 2014 and 2016. There are statistics available for stage 1 and 2 together. And for stage 3 and 4 together.
Around 80 out of 100 people (around 80%) will survive their cancer for 5 years or more after diagnosis.
More than 35 out of 100 people (more than 35%) will survive their cancer for 5 years or more after they are diagnosed.
There are survival statistics available for nasal cavity and paranasal cancer in England. But there are no UK-wide statistics for people with these cancers that also include Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The figures for 1 year survival are for people diagnosed between 2018 and 2020. The figures for 5 year survival are for people diagnosed between 2014 and 2016.
75 out of 100 people (75%) will survive their cancer for 1 year or more after diagnosis
50 out of 100 people (50%) will survive their cancer for 5 years or more after they are diagnosed
Your outlook depends on the stage of the cancer when it was diagnosed. This means how big it is and whether it has spread.
The type of cancer and grade of the cancer cells can also affect your survival. Grade means how abnormal the cells look under the microscope. Your outlook also depends on which parts of the nasal cavity or paranasal sinuses are involved.
Your general health and fitness also affect survival. The fitter you are, the better you may be able to cope with your cancer and treatment.
Last reviewed: 09 Feb 2024
Next review due: 09 Feb 2027
Cancer can start in the lining of the space behind the nose (nasal cavity) or the nearby air cavities (paranasal sinuses) and sometimes spread to lymph nodes and rarely other parts of the body.
Your treatment depends on several factors. These include what type of nasal and paranasal sinus cancer you have, how big it is, whether it has spread (the stage) and the grade. It also depends on your general health.
You usually start by seeing your GP. They will examine you and might refer you for tests or to a specialist.
You will have tests to check for nasal and paranasal sinus cancer. You might not need all of these tests. It will depend on your individual situation.
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