Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is the most common malignant tumor of the nasopharynx, the upper part of the throat behind the nose and near the base of skull. A carcinoma is a cancer that starts in epithelial cells, the cells lining the internal and external surfaces of the body. A total of 63 NPC patients treated during the period 1990-2009 at the University Hospital Bonn, Germany, were included. The 5-year overall survival rate after concomitant chemoradiotherapy (RCT) was 75% and after radiotherapy (RT) 60%. The mortality rate increased by 3.5 times with each increase in T-stage (p=0.047). The recurrence rate (RR) after RCT was 34% and after RT alone 68% (p=0.04). Tumor ablation increased the RR significantly (p=0.047).

Treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma usually involves radiation therapy, chemotherapy or a combination of the two. In certain cases, surgery may be used to remove a tumor from the nasopharynx. This usually requires surgeons to make an incision in the roof of your mouth to access the area to remove the cancerous tissue.There is a need to conduct secondary prevention, such as improving rates of early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment in NPC patients. Achievements in these areas might bring hope of providing a successful screening model in cancer.