Is nasopharyngeal carcinoma prone to metastasis?

Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
Updated on January 16, 2025
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Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a relatively common type of malignant tumor in the head and neck area and is prone to metastasis. The most common metastasis site is the cervical lymph nodes. Some patients are diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma only after the discovery of cervical lymph node metastatic cancer. Additionally, some patients may experience intracranial metastasis or bone metastasis. Generally speaking, for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, it is crucial to achieve early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment. After treatment, long-term regular follow-up is necessary to help determine the presence of metastasis. Moreover, if metastasis is confirmed, comprehensive treatment should be combined.

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Written by Cui Fang Bo
Oncology
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What should I do if nasopharyngeal carcinoma causes vomiting?

Patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma who exhibit vomiting should first determine the cause of the vomiting. For instance, if vomiting is due to the gastrointestinal reactions caused by radiotherapy and chemotherapy, medications such as serotonin receptor antagonists, corticosteroids, and NK-1 receptor blockers should be used to alleviate the side effects of the treatment. Additionally, nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients might experience projectile vomiting due to brain metastasis, which results in increased intracranial pressure. It is essential first to confirm the presence of brain metastasis through CT and MRI scans of the head. If brain metastasis is confirmed, localized treatment such as radiotherapy should be administered. Medications like mannitol and glycerol fructose should be used concurrently to reduce intracranial pressure and relieve the projectile vomiting. (Please use medications under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
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What is nasopharyngeal carcinoma?

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a relatively common malignant tumor in the nasopharyngeal area, and the main pathological type is predominantly squamous carcinoma, most of which are poorly differentiated squamous carcinomas, constituting the most common malignant tumor in the nasopharyngeal area. Currently, the primary treatment option is radiotherapy, which is the most important; some patients may need to consider concurrent or adjuvant chemotherapy. If drug and radiotherapy treatments are ineffective, or if there is cervical lymph node metastasis, and for some patients where chemoradiotherapy fails with residual lesions, surgery may be considered. However, currently, the surgical treatment approach is generally not very mature and is somewhat controversial, thus it requires treatment at major hospitals.

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Written by Xu Qing Tian
Otolaryngology
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Causes of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a common malignant tumor in otolaryngology, ranking first in incidence among otolaryngological diseases. The main causes are often associated with the patient's long-term chronic inflammation in the nasal cavity, smoking, drinking, and other bad habits. For patients with nasal cancer, it is mainly about avoiding exposure to irritating gases and abstaining from smoking and drinking in daily life to prevent the occurrence of nasal cancer. Additionally, we can use electronic nasopharyngoscopy, electronic laryngoscopy, and blood system EB virus tests, among others, to exclude nasopharyngeal carcinoma. If local tumor proliferation is found in the pharyngeal recess or nasopharynx, biopsy forceps can be used to remove the patient's tumor for pathological examination and diagnosis.

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Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
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How should nasopharyngeal carcinoma be examined?

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a relatively common otolaryngological disease and is also considered as one of the common head and neck malignant tumors. For diagnosis, an initial examination that can be conducted is nasopharyngoscopy. Through nasopharyngeal endoscopy, most patients can see changes in the nasopharynx due to new growths, which suggests considering a pathological biopsy test. This helps in obtaining a pathological diagnosis and allows for analysis and typing of the pathology. At the same time, imaging exams are necessary, with nasopharyngeal CT or MRI being commonly used. Additionally, it is recommended to test for the Epstein-Barr virus, as some patients’ condition could be a result of a long-term infection with this virus.

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Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
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What tests are done for nasopharyngeal carcinoma?

The examination items for nasopharyngeal carcinoma are mainly divided into three types. The first type is imaging examinations, the second type is blood tests, and the third type is endoscopic pathological biopsy. Imaging examinations mainly involve CT or MRI of the nasopharynx and the whole body. If necessary, PET-CT may also be considered to clarify the extent of the condition and determine the presence of neck or distant metastases, which is helpful for diagnosis and adjuvant therapy. The second type involves blood tests, mainly including general biochemical blood tests and virus detection, which can assess the basic functional status of the body. The third type is the endoscopic pathological biopsy, which involves performing a pathological biopsy under nasal endoscopy, primarily to confirm the diagnosis and observe the extent of the lesion in the nasopharynx.