Nasopharyngeal cancer is a rare cancer that begins in the upper part of the throat behind the nose. It is more common in parts of Asia and Africa. Symptoms can include lumps in the neck, ear problems, headaches, and nosebleeds. Doctors use exams, biopsies, and scans to diagnose it. Treatment depends on stage but may include chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, or clinical trials. Early detection improves survival rates, but it is often diagnosed at later stages due to vague symptoms.

1. University Cancer Center
https://universitycancercenters.com/

3. WHAT IS NASOPHARYNGEAL CANCER: CAUSES, SYMPTOMS, &
TREATMENT?
• What Is Nasopharyngeal Cancer?
• Where Is Nasopharyngeal Cancer Located?
• How Common Is Nasopharyngeal Cancer?
• What Are The Different Types Of Nasopharyngeal Cancer Tumors?
• What Are The Symptoms Of Nasopharyngeal Cancer?
• What Are The Risks And Causes Of Nasopharyngeal Cancer?
• How Do Doctors Diagnose Nasopharyngeal Cancer?
• What Are The Stages Of Nasopharyngeal Cancer?
• What Is The Survival Rate For Nasopharyngeal Cancer?
• What Are Treatment Options For Nasopharyngeal Cancer?
• How Aggressive Is Nasopharyngeal Cancer?
• What Are The Complications Related To Nasopharyngeal Cancer?
• Is It Possible To Prevent Nasophyrangeal Cancer?

4. What Is Nasopharyngeal Cancer?
• Nasopharyngeal is a rare type of cancer that is located in the neck and head region. It begins from the upper throat area
and behind the nose and is known as the nasopharynx. The nasopharynx consists of the area below your skull and the
upper mouth area.
• There are several different types of cancers that affect the neck and back areas, so it is difficult to detect cancer at an early
stage. The symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer are similar to some very-common types of problems.

5. Where Is Nasopharyngeal Cancer Located?
• The pharynx consists of the nostrils, tongue, soft and hard palate, epiglottis, nasopharynx, trachea, and more. The
nasopharynx is a hollow tube that connects the mouth and the nose. It is a 5-inch tube that begins from the nose and goes
down to the trachea (also known as the windpipe) and esophagus (tube responsible for sending food down to the
stomach).
• Nasopharyngeal cancer cells generally begin to build up in the squamous cells (the thin and flat cells on the surface of the
skin of hollow organs) that line the nasopharynx.

6. How Common Is Nasopharyngeal Cancer?
• Nasopharyngeal cancer is a rare cancer in the United States. And it is more commonly found in Southeast
Asia, Africa, the Arctic, and the Middle East. However, the problem is more common in the US among Asian
Americans and Asians living in the United States. When we look at the numbers, the people at more risk of
developing this cancer in the US are between the ages of 15 to 24 and 65 to 79. This cancer is as rare as one
person every year for every 100,000 people in the United States.

7. What Are The Different Types Of Nasopharyngeal Cancer Tumors?
• Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC)
• Keratinizing Squamous Cell Carcinoma
• Non-Keratinizing Differentiated Carcinoma
• Non-Keratinizing Undifferentiated Carcinoma
• Basaloid Squamous Cell Carcinoma

8. What Are The Symptoms Of Nasopharyngeal Cancer?
The First Signs Of Nasopharyngeal Cancer are:
• Formation of a lump in the throat that does not go away for at least three weeks
• Complete hearing loss in one year
• Hearing sounds from inside the body (tinnitus)
• A stuffy or blocked nose
However, detecting this cancer’s early symptoms is difficult, or you can very rarely detect them. Therefore, the common and more noticeable symptoms of this cancer type are:
• Blood mixed with the saliva
• Recurring infection in the ear
• Frequent headaches
• Ringing noise in the ear and nasal congestion
• Problem in hearing
• Formation of a lump in your throat area or a swollen lymph node
• Blood coming from your nose
• Sore throat issues
• Double vision
• Unexpected weight loss
• The bottom of your face feels numb

9. What Are The Risks And Causes Of Nasopharyngeal Cancer?
• Gender
• Age
• Ethnicity Or Location
• Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection
• Eating Habits
• Epstein-Barr Virus Infection (EBV)
• Family History
• Tobacco Use
• Alcohol Use

10. How Do Doctors Diagnose Nasopharyngeal Cancer?
• The doctor may also manually check your throat for any lumps to ensure that your cancer is not spreading to the lymph
nodes. After which, they can insert a tube through your nose or mouth to better understand the stage of your cancer and
check for any other problems like bleeding or abnormal growth of the tumor. This procedure is known as
Nasopharyngoscopy.
• If the results turn out to be unusual, then the doctors will suggest a biopsy. Wherein the doctors will take a small number
of tissue samples from the problematic area; the sample will then be studied under a microscope. And if the tests confirm
the presence of NPC, then the doctor will conduct image testing to know about the size of the tumor and its exact
placement. The tests may include the following:
• Neck ultrasound
• CT scan
• Chest X-ray
• MRI
• EBV testing
• Complete blood tests

11. What Are The Stages Of Nasopharyngeal Cancer?
• Stage 0
The very first stage of NCP is what the doctors describe as carcinoma in situ. In this stage, the abnormal cells are found lining
the nasopharynx, which can then turn into cancer cells and spread to the close by areas and tissues.
• Stage I
It is the beginning stage of the NPC. In this stage, the malignant cells have not spread to distant body parts or the lymph
nodes.
• Stage II
The second stage of NPC indicates the spread of cancerous cells to the lymph nodes but not the other body parts.
• Stage III and Stage IV
These two stages are the advanced stages of NPC. And in both stages, the size of the tumor has increased and advanced to
other parts like the nearby tissues, lymph nodes, and other distant parts of the body.

12. What Is The Survival Rate For Nasopharyngeal Cancer?
• If your cancer is detected in the early stage and is only located in the nasopharynx, then the 5-year survival rate is around
85%. However, if your cancer has started to spread and has reached nearby organs, tissues, or even your lymph nodes,
then the 5-year survival rate stands at 71%. And lastly, if your cancer cells have reached distant areas of your body, the 5-
year survival rate can go as low as 49%.

13. What Are Treatment Options For Nasopharyngeal Cancer?
• Chemotherapy
It is a kind of drug therapy that uses strong chemicals to kill the cancerous cells in the body. But to treat nasopharyngeal
cancer, this treatment alone may not be enough. And thus, it is usually combined with biological drugs or radiotherapy. Just
like every other cancer treatment, this treatment also has various side effects, like:
• Hair loss.
• Tiredness
• Constipation.
• Hearing loss
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting and nausea
• Loss of appetite.
• Dry mouth

14. Radiation Therapy
The new-age IMRT treatment is the best possible treatment for reducing the size of NPC tumors without causing
major damage to all the healthy tissues around the tumor. Also, this treatment ensures that you don’t have to face
extreme side effects or problems that are common with the traditional type of radiation therapy, for example:
• Inflammation around the mouth and throat lining
• Damage to the tooth
• Brain stem injury
• Dry mouth
• Damage to the healthy tissues around the tumor
• Blindness
• Hearing loss
• Mouth sores
• Skin irritation and redness
• Nausea

15. Palliative Therapy
This treatment is for controlling the cancer symptoms and the side effects that you may feel after your cancer treatment. The
treatment does not cure cancer, but it solely relieves its symptoms to make you comfortable. The side effects that you may
face due to palliative therapy are:
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting and Nausea
• Worsening of symptoms
• Issues in the throat and mouth area
• Hair loss
• Fatigue

16. Biologic Drugs
Biologic drugs are strong medications that change the working of the immune system in fighting diseases. These drugs are
generally used in cases of recurrent or advanced stages of cancer. The drugs include monoclonal antibodies like Erbitux,
Opdivo, and Keytruda. There are several side effects of this treatment method as well, like:
• Rashes or dry skin
• Diarrhea
• Blood clotting
• Liver issues
• High blood pressure

17. Surgery
Even though surgery is often an option for removing cancer tumors from the body, it is not an ideal choice for treating this
type of cancer as it can cause damage to important nerves and blood vessels. Surgery for removing NPC can also cause
damage to the eye and all the close by structures. Therefore, this option is not entirely suitable for Nasopharyngeal cancer
treatment, but it can be used in certain cases. Side effects of surgery are:
• Swelling because of fluid buildup
• Damage to the nerves

18. Clinical Trials
• If any treatment does not work out well for you, you can also consider a clinical trial. In these trials, researchers are always
trying new ways to treat cancer. You can always ask your doctor for any recommendation for Nasopharyngeal cancer
clinical trials around you.

19. How Aggressive Is Nasopharyngeal Cancer?
• Nasopharyngeal cancer is generally considered aggressive because it can grow and spread quickly. If your cancer is
detected and treated early, you can get better treatment results than most. But the problem with this type of cancer is
that it is difficult to detect it at an early stage and is only diagnosed when it has reached an advanced level, which can
cause complications and make it harder to treat.

20. How Long Can Someone Live With NPC (Nasopharyngeal Cancer)
• The NPC spreads at a rate of 1.63 mm per day. Therefore, it makes it difficult to treat. According to the statistics, the
general survival rate of NPC is five years for nearly 80% of individuals. However, one thing you should keep in mind is that
the survival rates are based on old cases of a large number of individuals and may not apply to your specific case.
• To know about your particular case and survival rate, you should visit a doctor instead of relying on the numbers you see
online. The doctor can tell you everything clearly and clear all your doubts.

21. What Are The Complications Related To Nasopharyngeal Cancer?
• There are certain complications that can cause problems while treating Nasopharyngeal cancer, which includes:
• The advanced stage of NPC can grow and enter different areas around the nasopharynx, like the brain, bones, and throat.
• NCP grows and spreads at a very fast rate and often spreads beyond the nasopharynx. The cancer cells can travel to areas
like the lymph nodes in the neck. It can also travel to distant areas of the body, such as the lungs, liver, and bones.

22. Is It Possible To Prevent Nasophyrangeal Cancer?
• There is yet to be any research that can prove that NPC can be prevented. However, the one thing you can do to reduce
the risks of developing NPC is to make lifestyle changes. For instance, you can reduce or stop your habits of alcohol
consumption and smoking. These two things have a direct link with NPC and can lead to other severe health issues.

23. Conclusion
• Nasopharyngeal cancer is very rare among people and thus can go unnoticed till it reaches its advanced stages. So, if you
have been feeling a lump in your neck, have a stuffy nose, or have a problem hearing anything from one ear for three
weeks or more, you should go to a doctor. When detected at an early stage, the treatment of this cancer can show
extremely positive results and have a survival rate of about 80%. There are several treatments available that can help you
with this problem.
• So, contact University Cancer Centers if you wish to get a proper and complete diagnosis of your symptoms and want to
know the treatment plan that will best work for your condition. Our experts are highly skilled and are able to provide the
most accurate diagnosis and treatment plan for you. The personalized treatments are created on the basis of your health,
family history, and symptoms.
• To book an appointment, call us at (713)-474-1414. We are open Monday to Friday from 10 AM- 5 PM.