Nose cancer is in the top 10 list of deadliest cancers among men in Singapore.
Also called nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC), nose cancer originates from a space behind the nose called the nasopharynx.
There are several cancer groups for the head and neck region.
Apart from NPC, others include cancer of the larynx (voicebox), other oral cavity cancers such as the mouth and throat, thyroid cancer and salivary gland cancer.
Statistics from the Singapore Cancer Registry of cases between 2001 and 2005 show that nose cancer is ranked sixth among the 10 that men here are most likely to get.
The five deadliest, in order, are: colorectal, lung, prostate, liver and stomach cancers.
Nose cancer accounts for 5 per cent of cancer deaths among men and 1.9 per cent among women here, said head and neck surgeon Professor Christopher Goh.
He is head and senior consultant of ear, nose and throat (ENT) at the department of otolaryngology, Singapore General Hospital.
Men are more prone to getting head and neck cancers, with a ratio of four to one.
Professor Soo Khee Chee, director of the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), said that by the time many of his patients come to see him, their cancer is already in a relatively advanced stage.
'Some people may not have paid enough attention to the symptoms,' he said.
He added that symptoms for the common head and neck cancers are discernible.
For NPC, these include bleeding or obstruction of the nose, ringing in the ears and partial deafness.
Lymph node swelling is also common in nose cancers.
A tumour blocking the eustachian tube, which connects the ear to the nose, may also cause the 'airplane ear' syndrome - pain in the ear due to air pressure - commonly experienced by passengers on planes.
For larynx (voicebox) cancer, patients may experience persistent hoarseness in the voice and sometimes cough too.
Most head and neck cancers can be treated with surgery and radiation therapy, said Prof Goh.
At an early stage, either surgery or radiotherapy may be possible.
'Advanced stage disease usually requires a combination of surgery and radiation therapy,' he added.
NCCS' Prof Soo said that eating too much preserved and salty food could give rise to NPC.
Heavy drinkers and smokers are at the greatest risk of head and neck cancer.
About 90 per cent of oral cavity and throat cancers are linked to smoking and drinking.
Nose cancer accounts for 5% of cancer deaths among men and 1.9% among women.
This story was first published in Mind Your Body, The Straits Times, on Aug 28, 2008.
