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. Incidence rates of nasopharyngeal carcinoma for Southeast Asian men and women as 11.0-26.9/100,000 and 3.6?10.1/100,000 compared to 0.4/100,000 and 0.2/100,000 among Swedes, respectively. As compared to the native Swedish population, the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma was significantly higher in male (SIR=35.6) and female (24.6) Southeast Asians.

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.