nasopharynx cancer

A cancer starting in the nasopharynx (upper part of the throat behind the nose and near the base of skull), that serves as a passageway for air traveling from the nose to the throat (and then on to the lungs).

(Types)
• non-keratinizing undifferentiated carcinoma: Most common. Lymphoepithelioma.
• non-keratinizing differentiated carcinoma
• keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma
• lymphoma: Cancers of immune system cells.
• adenoid cystic carcinoma: A rare form of adenocarcinoma, begins in glandular tissues (minor salivary glands), more commonly found in the nasal or oral cavity.

(Symptoms)
• Mass in the neck: Usually dense, painless. A cancer spreading to a lymph node in the neck, causing them to swell.
• Headaches.
• Nasal blockage or stuffiness.
• Nosebleeds.
• Ear infections that keep coming back.
• Hearing loss, tinnitus, pain, or feeling of fullness in the ear (especially on one side only).
• Facial pain or numbness.
• Trouble opening the mouth.
• Trouble breathing or talking.
• Blurred or double vision.

(Risk factors)
• Gender: Male.
• Locations: Southern China, northwest Canada, Greenland.
• Ethnicity: Asian, Pacific islanders, Alaskan natives.
• Diet: Very high in salt-cured fish and meat.
• Infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)
• Family history: Inherited genes, shared environmental factors.
• Tobacco
• Alcohol
• Workplace exposure to formaldehyde

(Diagnosis)
• nasopharyngoscopy
- - indirect: Uses special small mirrors and bright lights to inspect.
- - direct: Nasopharyngoscope, a fiber-optic scope to see the lining of the nasopharynx.
• imaging tests: Chest X-ray, CT scan, MRI, PET.
• biopsy: Endoscopic biopsy, fine needle aspiration biopsy.
• blood tests: For metastasis (not limited to detect this disease). Epstein-Barr virus DNA levels.

(Treatment)
• Chemotherapy: Uses anti-cancer drugs (e.g. carboplatin, doxorubicin, epirubicin).
• Chemoradiation: Some drugs make cancer cells more sensitive to radiation and are used together with radiation therapy.
• Radiation therapy
- - External beam radiation therapy: Uses X-rays that are aimed at the tumor.
- - Brachytherapy (internal radiation): Insert very thin metal rods into or very near the cancer, where small pellets of radioactive materials are placed into.
• Targeted drug therapy: Uses small-molecule drugs or monoclonal antibodies (e.g. cetuximab).
• Immunotherapy: Uses drugs that help the patient's own immune system find and destroy cancer cells (e.g. pembrolizumab, nivolumab).
• Surgery: Removal of the tumor and nearby tissue (lymph nodes, muscles, nerve tissue, and veins). The tissue and amount depend on the severity.

• Category

  Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma