Information from The American Cancer Society:

The nasal cavity

The nose opens into the nasal passageway, or cavity. This cavity runs along the top of the palate (the roof of the mouth, the shelf that separates your nose from your mouth) and turns downward to join the passage from the mouth to the throat.

The paranasal sinuses

Sinuses are cavities or small tunnels. They are called paranasal because they are "around or near the nose". The nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses help filter, warm, and humidify the air you breathe. They also give your voice resonance, lighten the weight of the skull, and provide a bony framework for the face and eyes.

The nasal cavity opens into a network of paired sinuses:

Normally, these sinuses are filled with air. When you have a cold or sinus infection the sinuses can fill with mucus and pus, often becoming obstructed (blocked), and cause discomfort.

The nasal cavity and the paranasal sinuses are lined by a layer of mucous producing tissue called mucosa. The mucosa has multiple types of cells including:

All of the cells that make up the mucosa can become cancerous and each type behaves or grows differently. The types of tumors formed when these cell types become cancerous include:

It is important to note that each of these types of cancer has a distinct behavior and outlook. They cannot all be treated the same. Many of these cancers rarely affect the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses so large clinical studies are lacking and doctors must base treatment decisions on experience with similar cancers arising elsewhere in the head and neck area.