Main symptoms of nasal and sinus cancer
In its early stages, nasal and sinus cancer will usually affect just your nose. It can cause symptoms such as:
- a blocked nose on one side of your nose that does not go away
- nosebleeds
- some loss of smell
- mucus running out of your nose or down your throat – the mucus may have blood in it
As the cancer grows it can affect your eyesight and cause
- double vision
- watering of one of your eyes
- bulging eyes
- some loss of vision
Other symptoms
If the cancer spreads into other parts of your head and neck, then it can cause other symptoms. These include:
- pain and numbness in your face that does not go away
- difficulty opening your mouth
- one or more of your teeth become loose
- pain or a feeling or pressure in one of your ears
- swollen neck glands
- a lump on your face, nose, or the roof of your mouth
Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:
- you suddenly get vision problems such as double vision
- you have symptoms of nasal and sinus cancer that get worse or do not get better after a few weeks
Important
Many of these symptoms are very common and can be caused by other conditions.
Having them does not definitely mean you have nasal and sinus cancer. But it's important to get them checked by a GP.
This is because if they're caused by cancer, finding it early may mean it's easier to treat.
What happens at your GP appointment
The GP may look inside your nose, mouth and throat. They may also check the glands in your neck for any swelling.
The GP may refer you for blood tests and X-rays.
Referral to a specialist
You may get an urgent referral for more tests or to see a specialist in hospital if the GP thinks you have symptoms that could be cancer. This does not definitely mean you have cancer.