How should nasopharyngeal carcinoma be examined?

Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
Updated on February 22, 2025
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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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Can stage IV nasopharyngeal cancer be cured?

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a relatively common type of malignant tumor in the head and neck region. If it is stage IV nasopharyngeal carcinoma, achieving clinical cure is very difficult; only a small portion of patients have the chance to achieve clinical cure, as stage IV nasopharyngeal carcinoma is considered advanced. The current common treatments are a combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. During the treatment process, regular reviews are necessary to observe the effects of the treatment. Some patients respond well to the treatment, and the tumor can be completely eliminated after treatment; however, for some patients, the treatment can only control the rapid growth of the tumor, not completely eradicate it. Even if the tumor completely subsides, there might still be a chance of local recurrence or distant metastasis after the treatment ends.

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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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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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Characteristics of headaches caused by nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a relatively common otorhinolaryngological disease with various clinical symptoms. The more common symptoms include nasal congestion, runny nose, and bloody nasal discharge. Some patients may experience headaches, which could potentially be due to intracranial metastasis of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma or nerve invasion, causing neuropathic pain. The specific characteristics of the headache mainly manifest as persistent and severe pain. Although pain relief medications can temporarily alleviate the symptoms, the relief usually does not last long. After the effects of the medication wear off, the pain may recur. Moreover, this condition is generally challenging to treat, and treatment outcomes may not be ideal.

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Can late-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma be cured?

Nasopharyngeal cancer is a malignant tumor located in the nasopharynx. Late-stage nasopharyngeal cancer refers to stages three and four, particularly stage four, where the patient experiences destruction of adjacent tissue structures and metastasis to distant organs. In such cases, clinical treatment generally involves symptomatic management or palliative care, aimed at improving the patient's quality of life and alleviating suffering. Whether nasopharyngeal cancer, especially in its late stages, can be cured is highly uncertain; its prognosis is very poor, and no one can definitively answer if it can be cured. However, the chances of cure are extremely slim, and the main approach is to provide palliative treatments.