Olfactory neuroblastoma, also known as esthesioneuroblastoma is a rare cancer that starts in your nasal cavity, affecting the nerves and nasal tissues. Often, the tumor develops in the cribriform plate, a bone between your eyes. As the tumor develops in the nasal cavity, it affects your sense of smell. 

Although the tumor starts from the nasal cavity, it can reach up to your eyes and brain; in some rare cases, even up to your bones, lungs, and neck region. Normally, the tissue is present as a soft tissue mass in the upper olfactory recess and extends through the cribriform plate.

Olfactory blastoma mainly affects people in the age of 50-60 years but people of other ages can also get this cancer. Affected people may suffer from nose bleeding or trouble breathing as the tumor grows in size. Out of total nasal cavity tumors, olfactory neuroblastoma makes up only 3%.

Olfactory blastoma is treated with surgery but you need experienced and trained surgeons for the procedure. If you are looking for surgeons, get in touch with the medical team for olfactory neuroblastoma treatment in Turkiye hospitals.

Olfactory Neuroblastoma Symptoms

Some warning signs and symptoms can indicate the possibility of olfactory neuroblastoma:

·       Nose bleeding

·       Feeling pain around your eyes

·       Bulging eyes

·       Runny nose

·       Watery eyes

·       Pus formation in the nose

·       Nose blockage causing trouble in breathing

·       Anosmia or reduced sense of smell

·       Feel pain or pressure in ear

·       Enlarged lymph nodes

·       Runny nose

·       Headaches

·       Numbness in the tooth or on face

·       Difficulty opening mouth

It’s true that you may suffer from these symptoms even without olfactory neuroblastoma. But if you suffer the majority of these symptoms, it is advisable to visit a healthcare provider for a proper diagnosis.

Who is at Risk

Although there is no particular cause of this tumor, certain factors put you at higher risk of this disease. People who are exposed to harmful chemicals due to their work tend to develop tumors in their nasal cavity. 

For instance, people who continuously get exposed to flour, nickel and cadmium, wood dust, regular dust, glues, formaldehyde and various other solvents are at higher risk. Staying away from these factors as much as possible can somewhat prevent you from developing this nasal tumor.

Stages of Olfactory Neuroblastoma

As you know, every type of cancer spreads in stages. It’s the stages of the cancer that help your healthcare providers know about the extent of its spread in your body parts. Knowing the stages of cancer is important to plan treatment strategies.

Often, the olfactory neuroblastoma stages are decided once the surgeons remove the tumor from the nasal cavity. 

The different stages of this cancer are:

·       Stage A- under this stage, the tumor remains confined to the nasal cavity only.

·       Stage B- by this stage, the tumor must have spread to the sinuses lying around the nose.

·       Stage C: in this stage, cancer starts moving out of nasal cavity and start infecting nearby tissues

·       Stage D- it’s the last stage and by this time, the tumor had spread to lymph nodes and all other parts of the body including brain, bones and lungs.

Depending on the stage of the tumor, olfactory neuroblastoma life expectancy ranges between 50-90%.

Diagnosis of Olfactory Neuroblastoma

When you visit a healthcare provider with the symptoms of olfactory neuroblastoma, the healthcare provider may suggest you undergo some imaging tests. These tests include MRI, CT scan, and X-rays. All these tests confirm the presence of tumor and also tells how far and how much the tumor has spread in the body.

To confirm their diagnosis, the doctor may send a small sample of your tumor for biopsy to confirm the type of tumor.

Olfactory Neuroblastoma Treatment

When you visit for olfactory neuroblastoma treatment in Turkiye hospitals, the healthcare providers will suggest the best possible treatment according to your condition. mostly, the first line of treatment includes olfactory neuroblastoma surgery to remove tumor and surrounding tissues.

Surgery can be done by two invasive procedures called medial maxillectomy and wide local excision. Both of these procedures may involve changes in your facial structure but this is the safest possible treatment. And that’s why often in people undergoing surgeries for olfactory neuroblastoma, face change is seen.

If your tumor has not spread out of the nasal cavity or in some other instances, surgeons may perform a non-invasive surgery called endoscopic surgery.

Olfactory neuroblastoma patients also undergo radiation therapy either as a part of the primary treatment or after the surgery to minimize the chances of cancer hitting back.

When a tumor spreads to other parts of the body, chemotherapy is also done to kill the cancer cells. Chemotherapy can also be part of radiation therapy treatment.

Complications Associated with Olfactory Neuroblastoma Treatment

Every cancer treatment has its own set of side effects be it short term or long term. If you are undergoing olfactory neuroblastoma treatment in Turkiye hospitals, your healthcare providers will inform you of all possible complications beforehand.

Some of these include:

·       Damage in your bones

·       Loss or change in Vision

·       Glaucoma

·       Changes in the facial structure

·       Spinal fluid leakage

Managing Life with Olfactory Neuroblastoma

·       Knowing that you are having cancer is terrible but if you get diagnosed on time, chances are there for survival. As soon as you notice changes in your body, contact your healthcare provider.

·       Try to get into a healthy lifestyle by eating nutritious food and exercising daily.

·       Although preventing olfactory neuroblastoma is tough, try to stay away from inhaling harmful chemicals and smoking tobacco.

·       Try to bring in notice of any change in your body before, during and after treatment.

·       Don’t miss your follow-up appointments, medications, tests and other procedures. Clear your queries and discuss your concerns at every visit.

·       Be in touch with your family and friends, talk to them as it helps managing your anxiety

·       Try to get into support groups with people suffering from cancer. Getting associated with such groups gives you strength and ability to fight cancer.

·       Lastly, try to be stay calm and positive