Tobacco use is a risk factor for nasal cavity and sinus cancers.

If you have a noncancerous tumor called an inverted papilloma in your nasal passages or sinuses, you are at a greater risk. Up to 10 percent of all inverted papillomas become cancerous if left untreated.

Nasal cavity and sinus cancers are also more common among people who have had significant exposure to:

• Wood dust
• Nickel
• Chemicals used in leather processing