NASOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMA

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (also known as NPC) is a rare tumor of the head and neck which originates in the nasopharynx.
The nasopharynx is located at the very back of the nose near the Eustachian tubes.
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is rare in the United States. It occurs much more frequently in other parts of the world — specifically Southeast Asia.
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is difficult to detect early.
That’s probably because the nasopharynx isn’t easy to examine and symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma mimic those of other, more-common conditions.

Some symptoms of NPC are:

Enlarged lymph node in the neck
Bleeding from the nose or mouth
Difficulty popping ears: This is due to close proximity of the tumor to the Eustachian tube, resulting in blockage and accumulation of fluid in the middle ear.
Difficulty breathing through the nose

Cancer begins when one or more genetic mutations cause normal cells to grow out of control, invade surrounding structures and eventually spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body.
In nasopharyngeal carcinomas, this process begins in the squamous cells that line the surface of the nasopharynx.
Exactly what causes the gene mutations that lead to nasopharyngeal carcinoma isn’t known.

Some diagnosis that a doctor may carry out are:

Once the diagnosis is confirmed, your doctor orders other tests to determine the extent (stage) of the cancer, such as imaging tests.

Imaging tests may include:

Treatments for NPC are:

If you’re concerned about your risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, you may consider avoiding habits that have been associated with the disease.
For instance, you may choose to cut back on the number of salt-cured foods you eat or avoid these foods altogether.

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