Stages of Sinus Cancer
Sinus cancer is rare form of cancer. It can occur in any of the sinus cavities, but the most common location for cancer to occur is in the paranasal sinus cavity. This includes the space in the bones behind the nose and cheeks.
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Types
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The sinus cavities are lined with squamous cell, and the most common form of cancer of the paranasal sinuses is squamous cell carcinoma. Other types of cancer that can occur include melanoma and sarcoma.
Staging Overview
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The staging of cancer is done to describe the size of the tumor and if the cancer has metastasized to other locations in the body. Staging cancer is most helpful in planning a course of treatment. If cancer spreads, it will enter other locations of the body by blood or through lymph nodes. The lymph nodes close to the nose are closely observed to determine the stage of sinus cancer.
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Staging System
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There are several staging systems available. The most used system is referred to as the TNM system. The T stands for tumor size. The N describes if the lymph nodes are affected or not. The M signifies if the cancer has spread to other areas in the body.
Tumor Size
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There are four classifications for tumor size when staging sinus cancer. A T1 classification means that the tumor is contained within the paranasal sinus only. A T2 classification means the tumor has spread to the bones surrounding the paranasal sinus cavity. A T3 classification means the cancer affects at least the eye socket, tissues under the skin, the bone within the nose or the bones around the maxillary sinus cavities. T4 indicates the tumor is large enough to be affecting an eye and other sinus cavities. The tumor may even be large enough that it has spread to additional areas of the body.
Lymph Nodes
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The lymph node classification begins with N0, which means no lymph nodes are affected by the cancer. The highest classification of lymph nodes is N3, which indicates the lymph nodes affected are located on both sides of the neck and are 6 cm or greater in size. There are classifications of N1, N2a, N2b and N2c between N0 and N3. These classifications all indicate the lymph nodes are affected by the cancer and vary as to how many are involved and the side of the nodes.
Metastasis
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The classifications for metastasis are M0 and M1. M0 indicates the cancer has not spread to other areas of the body, and the M1 indicator signifies that it has.
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