Nasopharyngeal cancers are cancers originating at the back of the nasal passage, from above the soft palate to the upper part of the throat.
People often develop lumps in their neck or may have a sensation of fullness or pain in the ears and may have hearing loss.
A biopsy is needed for diagnosis, and imaging tests are done to evaluate the extent of the cancer.
Treatment involves radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and sometimes surgery.
The Nose
The nasopharynx includes the back of the nasal passage from above the soft palate to the upper part of the throat. Most nasopharyngeal cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, which means the cancer develops in the squamous cells that line the nasopharynx.
Nasopharyngeal cancer may occur in people of any age group. Although rare in North America, nasopharyngeal cancer is one of the most common cancers among people of China, especially those of southern Chinese, and Southeast Asian ancestry. This cancer is also more common among Chinese people who immigrated to North America than among other Americans. It is less common among American-born Chinese than their immigrant parents or grandparents.
The Epstein-Barr virus, which causes infectious mononucleosis, plays a role in the development of nasopharyngeal cancer. There is also a hereditary predisposition. In addition, children and young adults who eat large amounts of salted fish and food preserved with nitrites are more likely to develop nasopharyngeal cancer.
