Michigan Spa Owner Learns That Strange Ringing In Her Ears Was Actually A Symptom Of An Extremely Rare Cancer

In 2016, just as Page decided to open her own cosmetic teeth whitening spa, she learned that she had this rare type of cancer after a strange symptom popped up, causing her major discomfort.

"I constantly had a ringing in my ear all day (and) all night. (I had) a lot of problems, but I never expected to hear 'sinus cancer,'" she said.

She would also learn that what she thought were sinus infections something she had been battling for nearly three years were also a symptom of sinus cancer.

Valerie's Recovery

Shortly after her diagnosis, Page had a polyp an extra piece of tissue that grows inside the body removed, as it was blocking her nasal passage. A test would later reveal the polyp was cancerous.

Luckily, the rare cancer was in its early stages. However, after she had the polyp removed, the cancer came back. This time, the sinus cancer was in the front of Page's skull. And this time, the surgery to get rid of the cancer was more invasive. She also had to have radiation treatments.

But now, five years later, Page is living her life cancer-free!

Raising Awareness

In order to raise awareness for sinus cancer, Page is starting a nonprofit called Unseen Warriors of Head and Neck Cancer, according to FOX 2.

She said she's also putting a portion of her profits from her cosmetic teeth whitening spa, Advanced Smile, toward providing resources to those battling sinus cancer.

"This is very important because if she makes people aware of these specific symptoms, then they can start thinking, 'It's been more than a month, I am going to stop going to urgent care and taking antibiotics, I am going to a specialist to diagnose this,'" Dr. Adam Folbe, a head and neck cancer surgeon at Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, told FOX 2 of Page's efforts to raise awareness. (Dr. Folbe is also Page's doctor.)

"Maybe you can save someone's life because it can be a very aggressive cancer," Page said. "Thank God mine wasn't."

Understanding Sinus Cancer

Nasal cavity and sinus cancers are very rare.

According to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, these cancers affect only about 2,000 people in the United States each year; tumors are more likely to begin in the nasal cavity than in the sinuses.

Advocating for Yourself While Navigating the Medical World

We don't know exactly what type of sinus cancer Page had, but tumors tend to form in the maxillary sinuses when they do develop in the sinuses.

Tobacco use is a risk factor for nasal cavity and sinus cancer. And these rare cancers are more common in people who have had significant exposure to wood dust, nickel and chemicals used in leather processing.

It's uncommon for nasal cavity and sinus cancer tumors to cause symptoms at the earliest stages. Unfortunately, most people tend to notice symptoms only once the tumor has grown large enough to block the nasal cavity or the affected sinus like in Page's case or when it has spread to nearby tissue.

Since sinus cancer is hard to catch early, your doctor may discover the tumor during treatment for a sinus infection.

Common signs of nasal cavity cancer and sinus cancer include:

• Nasal congestion that doesn't go away
• Chronic sinus infections that don't respond to antibiotics (like Page)
• Frequent headaches
• Facial pain
• Nosebleeds
• Swelling around the eyes
• Decreased sense of smell

More advanced disease is associated with:

• Loose teeth
• Numbness around the cheek and upper lip
• Double vision
• Swelling in the mouth, jaw or neck

Contributing: Abby Seaberg

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.