Is a fever in nasopharyngeal carcinoma a sign of deterioration?

Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
Updated on November 20, 2024
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Patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma may exhibit fever in a clinical setting. This fever can partially be due to the worsening of the carcinoma itself. However, not all cases are due to progression of the disease; some are caused by infections and other factors. For example, after receiving anti-tumor treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma may experience a decrease in white blood cells, making them highly susceptible to infections, which can then manifest as fever. Additionally, patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma may have weakened immune systems, making them prone to infections and fevers. As the nasopharyngeal carcinoma progresses, it can release abnormal hormones, forming endogenous fever-inducing agents, leading to clinical manifestations of fever. Generally, this type of fever is referred to as tumor fever, which is often related to the progression of the disease. Tumor fever typically requires anti-tumor treatment for effective relief.

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Written by Li Rui
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Does nasopharyngeal carcinoma require surgery?

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.

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How is nasopharyngeal carcinoma diagnosed?

The examination of nasopharyngeal carcinoma is mainly divided into two major categories. The first category is imaging examinations, and the second category is pathological biopsy tests. Imaging examinations primarily involve performing a CT or MRI of the nasopharyngeal area to determine the scope of the cancerous changes in the nasopharynx, which is quite helpful for clinical staging and typing. It also plays a role in designing targeted therapy for subsequent radiation treatment. Pathological testing is an important means for diagnosing nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Generally, it requires a nasopharyngoscopy. If cancerous changes are suspected during the nasopharyngoscopy, a pathological biopsy can be taken simultaneously. After the biopsy, the specific differentiation degree and type of cancer can be determined. Then, in conjunction with the imaging examinations, a plan for radiotherapy and chemotherapy can be formulated.

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Written by Deng Bang Yu
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Can nasopharyngeal carcinoma be treated?

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a common clinical disease, especially in the southern regions of China. It primarily affects the nasal area as a malignant tumor. The clinical treatment outcomes for nasopharyngeal carcinoma are relatively good, and it is also referred to as "fortunate cancer," which implies that it has a relatively high cure rate. The main clinical treatment involves radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy, often described as the "sandwich" treatment method. Any tumor can be cured if detected early, and the early detection rate of nasopharyngeal carcinoma is relatively high. Therefore, its cure rate is also relatively high compared to other major organ tumors such as liver and lung cancers, which exhibit relatively lower cure rates and outcomes.

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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.

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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.