Paranasal sinus cancer is cancer originating in the paranasal sinuses, usually occurring in the maxillary and ethmoid sinuses.
The Sinuses
Although rare in the United States, paranasal sinus cancers are more common in Japan and among the Bantu people of South Africa. Doctors are not sure what causes these cancers, but they are more common among people who smoke tobacco or regularly inhale certain types of wood and metal dust. Human papillomavirus (HPV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may sometimes play a role. Doctors do not think chronic sinusitis causes these cancers.
