Does nasopharyngeal carcinoma require surgery?

Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
Updated on September 15, 2024
00:00
00:00

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma generally does not consider surgery.

For most patients with nasal cancer, radiotherapy is the first choice, and depending on the different stages, it may be necessary to consider concurrent or adjuvant chemotherapy. The overall treatment plan primarily focuses on curative radiotherapy, and it also requires regular follow-ups to monitor recovery.

If radiotherapy and chemotherapy fail or there is a recurrence, surgery may need to be considered in these cases, but the surgery is relatively difficult, and a detailed analysis of the patient's specific situation is required. Only a very small number of patients would be indicated for surgery.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
46sec home-news-image

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.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
55sec home-news-image

Is nasopharyngeal carcinoma contagious?

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma currently has no definite transmissibility, and the exact cause of nasopharyngeal cancer is not particularly clear. Clinical studies have shown that there is a certain relationship between nasopharyngeal carcinoma and EB virus infection, but it may also be related to other factors, such as familial heredity or living environment. Exposure to radioactive or chemical substances may also have a certain impact. Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that there is genetic or absolute contagion. Overall, in terms of treatment, radiotherapy is mainly used, and some patients need to be combined with chemotherapy. Generally, the five-year survival rate is relatively high among early-stage patients. If the disease staging is later and the differentiation is poor, the treatment difficulty and treatment effect are relatively worse.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
47sec home-news-image

Can nasopharyngeal cancer be cured?

A portion of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients can meet the criteria for clinical cure. It largely depends on the specific staging and type of the cancer. Patients with higher differentiation and earlier stages, especially stages one and two, tend to have better treatment outcomes. Currently, radiation therapy is the primary treatment, and some patients may also need to undergo chemotherapy. Overall, chemotherapy is quite effective for most patients. However, whether clinical cure can be achieved primarily depends on the extent of the disease and individual differences. Some people respond better to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which in turn increases their chances of clinical cure. The five-year survival rate is considered the most important indicator.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
59sec home-news-image

What are the symptoms of late-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma?

Nasopharyngeal cancer is a common malignancy in otolaryngology, primarily located in the nasopharyngeal area. In advanced stages, nasopharyngeal cancer manifests symptoms in two main aspects. One involves symptoms directly caused by the cancer or its metastasis, typically presenting as increased nasal masses, enlarged cervical lymph nodes, severe headaches, decreased hearing, and bleeding in the nasal area due to tumor cells or tissue eroding the internal carotid artery. Additionally, there is a foul smell from the nasopharyngeal area. The second aspect relates to systemic symptoms due to the growth of nasopharyngeal cancer, leading to poor overall nutritional status and cachexia, characterized by extreme emaciation. There is also the potential for distant metastasis of the tumor cells, presenting symptoms in the corresponding areas.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
56sec home-news-image

Where is the best place to treat nasopharyngeal carcinoma?

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma currently mainly considers radiation therapy and chemotherapy, with radiation therapy as the primary treatment. It requires staging and typing based on different ranges of lesions and pathological biopsy types. After determining the stage and type, further radiation and chemotherapy plans can be established. At present, radiation therapy is the most important. Most patients need concurrent chemotherapy or adjuvant chemotherapy and require regular follow-ups. For some patients with cervical lymph node metastasis or recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiation therapy, who cannot undergo radiation or chemotherapy again or for whom radiation and chemotherapy have failed, surgery may be considered. However, surgery is generally not the first choice and its effectiveness is not particularly certain.