According to INCA (National Cancer Institute), the incidence is higher in men, after the fourth decade of life, and the main risk factor is chronic consumption of tobacco and alcohol.
According to otolaryngologist Lucienne Stephen, director of the medical residency service at the Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Service at Hospital São Lucas (PUC-RS), the tumor usually starts with a wound that bleeds and does not heal – the patient thinks he has a pimple or a blackhead.
“All of these symptoms that last more than 15 days should be examined by a doctor, especially wounds that bleed and do not heal. This may be a sign of cancer,” explains the doctor who performed Ricuperto’s surgery in 2018.
Other symptoms include: swelling in the neck, a sore throat that does not go away, difficulty swallowing, and a change or hoarseness in the voice. In the nose, bleeding, severe pain, and nasal obstruction may occur.
However, according to Stephen, Ricuperto’s case is more extreme. Sometimes a patient may undergo several surgeries in the nasal area without complete removal, but this depends on a quick diagnosis.
He arrived in a more serious condition that required complete removal, so he was referred to the prosthetics service. Today, he has recovered without the tumor returning and is subject to medical follow-up. Lucien Stephen, Otolaryngologist and Surgeon
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