An oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Dr. George Hatzigiannis has led an independent practice in Boston since 2007. Dr. George Hatzigiannis comes to this role with an in-depth knowledge of treatment options for cancer of the maxilla and nearby structures, such as the maxillary sinuses.
If cancer cells have begun to develop in the tissue that covers the maxillary sinus, located inside of the cheekbones on each side of the nose, physicians may classify the situation as a stage 0 cancer. Also known as carcinoma in situ or pre-cancer, this diagnosis indicates the potential for, but not the presence of, a cancer situation.
If the cancer begins to grow, it starts within that initial origin point of the maxillary sinus. This is known as stage 1 cancer, which means that the cancer has not yet spread to other nearby tissues. Once the cancer begins to invade the sinus floor or bony tissue that covers the sinus opening, but has not yet invaded the back of the sinus or elsewhere, the diagnosis is stage 2 cancer.
Most patients with stage 1 or stage 2 maxillary sinus cancer undergo surgery and often radiation to attempt to remove the tumor. This is also a likely treatment plan for a patient with stage 3 maxillary sinus cancer, which has begun to grow into the sinus bones or an adjacent lymph node. Patients with this stage of cancer may receive chemotherapy as well.
If the cancer has spread to more than one lymph node and caused one node or more to grow bigger than 3 centimeters, or if the tumor has spread into adjacent structures such as the eye, skull, or frontal sinuses, the cancer is stage 4. This stage is also diagnosed if the tumor is classified as T4 for size or has metastasized to other body systems. Patients with this stage of cancer may still undergo surgery if the tumor is removable by such a technique, though some stage 4 cancers have progressed beyond this point and may instead call for radiation and/or chemo as a primary mode of treatment.
