Npc differs significantly from other cancers of the head and neck in its occurrence, causes, clinical behavior, and treatment. If youve been diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer npc, your treatment team will discuss your options with you. Nasopharyngeal cancer most commonly starts in the squamous cells that line the nasopharynx. Incidence is higher in the chinese and tunisian populations. Knowing the structures and how the nasopharynx work will help an individual understand nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma npc, npca is a multifactorial malignancy associated with both genetic and environmental factors. Since npc is located in the silent painless area, the disease is usually therefore diagnosed at the advanced stages. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma radiology reference article. Read and learn all about the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of this disease. Cancer has spread beyond the nasopharynx and may have spread to the cranial nerves, the hypopharynx bottom part of the throat, areas in and around the side of the skull or jawbone, andor the bone around the eye. Chinese individuals from southern china have the highest risk in developing npc. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma npc is a relatively uncommon cancer with an incidence of 0. If there is anything i can do and questions you want to ask, please know that i am here and happy to share my story. Although rare, npc accounts for about one third of childhood nasopharyngeal neoplasms.
I completed treatment in late october and am now just trying to recover from the harshness of the treatment. The nasopharynx is precariously placed at the base of your skull, above the roof of your mouth. All analyses were performed using the rsoftware version 2. Most common malignancy in the nasopharynx nasopharyngeal malignancies scca nasopharyngeal carcinoma lymphoma salivary gland tumors sarcomas 3. Nasopharyngeal cancer is a rare type of cancer that affects the part of the throat connecting the back of the nose to the back of the mouth the pharynx. Nasopharyngeal cancer program cancer institute stanford. It starts in the upper part of your throat, behind the nose. For more information about applying to the research study, please visit their website.
This article is from radiation oncology london, england, volume 9. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma npc is a unique disease with clinical behavior, epidemiology and histopathology that is different from that of the other squamous cell carcinomas of. Most often, nasopharyngeal cancer starts in the epithelial cells that line the inside of the nasopharynx. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma npc is a prevalent malignancy in. The detection of the epsteinbarr virus ebv nuclear antigen and viral dna in nasopharyngeal carcinoma has revealed that ebv can infect epithelial cells and is associated with their malignant transformation. The pharynx is a hollow tube about 5 inches long that starts behind the nose and ends at the top of the trachea windpipe and esophagus the tube that goes from the throat to the stomach. Epcam cart for treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and. Nasopharyngeal cancer is a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the tissues of the nasal cavity and throat. What imaging tests are used for nasopharyngeal cancer. Its important to weigh the benefits of each treatment option against the possible risks and side effects. Nasopharyngeal cancer merck manuals professional edition. Rare types of nasopharyngeal cancer can also develop.
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma the most frequent presenting complaint is a neck mass due to regional lymph node metastasis virology of epsteinbarr virus associated with the development of b cell lymphomas, t cell lymphomas, hodgkin lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinomas in certain patients. Primary treatment results of nasopharyngeal carcinoma npc in. The underlying mechanisms behind this remarkable geographic distribution remain unclear. Ethnic background and being exposed to the epsteinbarr virus can affect the risk of nasopharyngeal cancer. Between january 1990 and january 2011, 158 npc patients younger than 20 years old were treated in our institution, and the patients clinical characteristics, treatment modalities, outcomes and prognostic factors were retrospectively analyzed. A form of cancer, carcinoma makes up the majority of the cases of malignancy of the breast, uterus, intestinal tract, skin, and tongue.
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma npc is an uncommon cancer, which has a distinctive ethnic and geographic distribution. Etiology of npc is considered to be related with a complex interaction of environmental and genetic factors as well as epsteinbarr virus infection. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma npc is a tumor arising from the epithelial cells that cover the surface and line the nasopharynx. Local failure patterns for patients with nasopharyngeal. We report the establishment and early results of a multiinstitutional prospective study of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, which seeks to systematically collect data as well as blood and tumour tissue samples from patients diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer at six centres in malaysia. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma which is also known as nasopharyngeal cancer is a type of cancer on the neck and head that rarely occurs, but it could affect both males and females. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma npc, or nasopharynx cancer, is the most common cancer originating in the nasopharynx, most commonly in the posterolateral. However, there are certain populations in whom the incidence is considerably higher, including native and foreignborn chinese, southeast asians, north africans, and native people of the arctic region. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma npc is a rare malignancy worldwide, but it is endemic in a few areas including southern china, southeast asia, north africa and the arctic. From basic information about cancer and its causes to indepth information on specific cancer types including risk factors, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment options youll find it here. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a rare cancer that arises in the nasal cavity and pharynx throat.
The cancer arises from the epithelium of the nasopharynx. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma treatment danafarberboston. I lost 60 pounds i never got a peg, and i have put back on 40 of those 60 pounds. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma definitionpage contents1 nasopharyngeal carcinoma definition2 nasopharyngeal carcinoma types3 nasopharyngeal carcinoma stages4 nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Nonkeratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma differentiated. Nasopharyngeal cancer treatment adult pdq pdq cancer. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma npc is endemic in north africa and southeast asia and most notably in south china, where the incidence can be as high as 2040 per 100,000 persons 1 3. Nasopharyngeal cancer treatment options include radiation therapy alone, radiation. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma symptoms and causes mayo clinic. Genetic heterogeneity of susceptibility to nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Depending on the stage of the cancer, you may get more than 1 of these. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma in children and adolescents a. I underwent chemo and radiation treatments until the end of march 2003. In general, the incidence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma increases with age, peaking at around 5059 years of age, with a early small peak found in late childhood in some populations. Nasopharyngeal cancer shouldnt be confused with other types of cancer that also affect the throat, such as. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma npc a tumour arising from the epithelial cells that cover the surface and line the nasopharynx. Although rare in the us and western europe, it is common in asia and is one of the most common cancers among chinese immigrants in the us, especially those of southern chinese and southeast asian ancestry.
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma genetic and rare diseases. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma npc is a rare malig nant tumor arising from epithelial cells of the nasopharynx. Nasopharyngeal cancer is a type of head and neck cancer. Stage 4 nasopharyngeal cancer is divided into stages iva, ivb, and ivc. It is vastly more common in certain regions of east asia and africa than elsewhere, with viral, dietary and genetic factors implica. Nasopharyngeal cancer can occur in any age group, including adolescents, and is common in the south china sea region. To investigate the clinical feature and the local failure patterns. Epcam cart for treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and breast cancer the safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Here are some questions you can ask your cancer care team to help you better understand.
Unfortunately most nasopharyngeal cancers are found at a later stage, when the cancer has spread to lymph nodes or distant organs. Although rare, npc accounts for one third of childhood nasopharyngeal neoplasms. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma npc is a severe form of pharyngeal cancer that accounts for approximately 1% of all malignancies. In total 188 patients presented with npc during september 2008 till. This animation shows how cancer cells travel from the place in the body. These tumors, which are strongly associated with epsteinbarr virus, can spread to the base of the skull, causing cranial nerve palsy, which can result in. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma definition of nasopharyngeal.
Our mission is to provide comprehensive care and to conduct cutting edge research with a focus on translating discoveries. The epsteinbarr virus has been implicated tse et al. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is cancer that occurs in the nasopharynx, which is located behind your nose and above the back of your throat. Squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharyngeal mucosa, showing light microscopic or ultrastructural evidence of squamous differentiation one of two subtypes of nonkeratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma npc, according to who classification. This type of cancer is called nasopharyngeal carcinoma npc. The nasopharynx is the upper part of the pharynx throat behind the nose. Whether you or someone you love has cancer, knowing what to expect can help you cope. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the u. Current trends in the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma duration. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma, or nasopharynx cancer, is the most common cancer originating in the nasopharynx, most commonly in the posterolateral nasopharynx or pharyngeal recess, accounting for 50% of cases. For more information about nasopharyngeal cancer, visit au. Approximately one third of nasopharyngeal carcinomas of the undifferentiated type are diagnosed in adolescents or young adults.
In the uk, about 250 people are diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer each year. A new prognostic histopathologic classification of. The following are prognostic and predictive factors for nasopharyngeal cancer. The stage is the most important prognostic factor for nasopharyngeal cancer. After a cancer diagnosis, staging provides important information about the extent of cancer in the body and likely response to treatment. Nasopharyngeal carcinomas npc are the most common primary malignancy of the nasopharynx. Copies of the ebv genome have been found in cells of preinvasive lesions, suggesting that it is directly related to the process of transformation. It is of squamous cell origin, some types of which are strongly associated with the epsteinbarr virus ebv. The centers for mendelian genomics program is working to discover the causes of rare genetic disorders. To evaluate the clinical features, treatment results, prognostic factors and late toxicities of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in children and adolescents. Pathology and risk factors morphologically, an abundance of lymphoid cells is often seen intermixed with transformed epithelial cells, but nasopharyngeal carcinoma is widely regarded to be squamous in origin. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma npc is a unique disease with clinical behavior, epidemiology, and histopathology that is different from that of squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck.
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma npc is a cancer which is common in asia. Parts of the throat pharynx parts of the throat pharynx the throat pharynx is a muscular tube that runs from the back of your nose down into your neck. Stages of nasopharyngeal cancer stanford health care. Nasopharyngeal cancer early detection, diagnosis, and staging. Signs of nasopharyngeal cancer include trouble breathing, speaking, or hearing. A comparison of staging systems for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Beyond five is an australian charity dedicated to improving the quality of lif. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma npc is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths among ethnic asian groups. Nasopharyngeal cancer is a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the tissues of the nasopharynx. I hope treatments are working and there is not too. Statistics have shown that males are affected much more frequently than females with a lifetime risk for developing npc of 1 in 53 men compared to 1 in 1 women. It is uncommon in children under age 10, but the incidence rises between the ages of 10 and 19.
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