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Nasopharyngeal Cancer Treatment

Nasopharyngeal cancer is a disease in which cancer cells form in the tissues of the nasopharynx.

The nasopharynx is the upper part of the pharynx (throat) behind the nose. 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). Air and food pass through the pharynx on the way to the trachea or the esophagus. The nostrils lead into the nasopharynx. An opening on each side of the nasopharynx leads into an ear. Nasopharyngeal cancer most commonly starts in the squamous cells that line the nasopharynx.

Nasopharyngeal cancer is a type of head and neck cancer.

Ethnic background and being exposed to the Epstein-Barr virus can affect the risk of nasopharyngeal cancer.

Anything that increases your risk of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Having a risk factor does not mean that you will get cancer; not having risk factors doesn't mean that you will not get cancer. Talk with your doctor if you think you may be at risk. Risk factors for nasopharyngeal cancer include the following:

  • Having Chinese or Asian ancestry.
  • Being exposed to the Epstein-Barr virus: The Epstein-Barr virus has been associated with certain cancers, including nasopharyngeal cancer and some lymphomas.
  • Drinking large amounts of alcohol.

Signs of nasopharyngeal cancer include trouble breathing, speaking, or hearing.

  • These and other signs and symptoms may be caused by nasopharyngeal cancer or by other conditions. Check with your doctor if you have any of the following:
  • A lump in the nose or neck.
  • A sore throat.
  • Trouble breathing or speaking.
  • Nosebleeds.
  • Trouble hearing.
  • Pain or ringing in the ear.
  • Headaches.

Tests that examine the throat and neck are used to help find, diagnose, and stage nasopharyngeal cancer.

Procedures that make pictures of the nose and throat help diagnose nasopharyngeal cancer. The process used to find out if cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body is called staging. Tests and procedures to detect, diagnose, and stage nasopharyngeal cancer are done before planning treatment.

The following tests and procedures may be used:

  • Physical exam and history: An exam of the body to check general signs of health, including checking for signs of disease, such as swollen lymph nodes in the neck or anything else that seems unusual. A history of the patient’s health habits and past illnesses and treatments will also be taken.
  • Neurological exam: A series of questions and tests to check the brain, spinal cord, and nerve function. The exam checks a person’s mental status, coordination, and ability to walk normally, and how well the muscles, senses, and reflexes work. This may also be called a neuro exam or a neurologic exam.
  • Fiberoptic Nasopharyngolaryngoscopy: A thin, tube-like instrument with a light and camera is inserted through the nostril. The instrument is flexible and able to advance further down the pharynx for examination of the lining of the nasopharynx, oropharynx, larynx and hypopharynx.
  • Biopsy: The removal of cells or tissues so they can be viewed under a microscope by a pathologist to check for signs of cancer.
  • Nasal Endoscopy: An endoscope is inserted through the nose. An endoscope is a tube-like instrument with a light and a lens for viewing. It may be used with a tool to remove tissue samples,which are checked under a microscope for signs of cancer.
  • MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): A procedure that uses a magnet, radio waves, and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body. This procedure is also called nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI).
  • PET scan (positron emission tomography scan): A procedure to find malignant tumor cells in the body. A small amount of radioactive glucose (sugar) is injected into a vein. The PET scanner rotates around the body and makes a picture of where glucose is being used in the body. Malignant tumor cells show up brighter in the picture because they are more active and take up more glucose than normal cells do. PET scans maybe used to find nasopharyngeal cancers that have spread to the bone. Sometimes a PET scan and a CT scan are done at the same time. This is called a PET-CT scan If there is any cancer, this increases the chance that it will be found.
  • Ultrasound exam: A procedure in which high-energy sound waves (ultrasound) are bounced off organs in the abdomen and make echoes. The echoes form a picture of body tissues called a sonogram. The picture can be printed to be looked at later.
  • CT scan (CAT scan): A procedure that makes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body, such as the chest and upper abdomen, taken from different angles. The pictures are made by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. A dye may be injected into a vein or swallowed to help the organs or tissues show up more clearly. This procedure is also called computed tomography, computerized tomography, or computerized axial tomography.
  • Chest x-ray: An x-ray of the organs and bones inside the chest. An x-ray is a type of energy beam that can go through the body and onto film, making a picture of areas inside the body.
  • Blood chemistry studies: A procedure in which a blood sample is checked to measure the amounts of certain substances released into the blood by organs and tissues in the body. An usual (higher or lower than normal) amount of a substance can be a sign of disease.
  • Complete blood count (CBC): A procedure in which a sample of blood is drawn and checked for the following:
    • The number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
    • The amount of hemoglobin (the protein that carries oxygen) in the red blood cells.
    • The portion of the blood sample made up of red blood cells.
  • Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) test: A blood test to check for antibodies to the Epstein-Barr virus and DNA markers of the Epstein-Barr virus. These are found in the blood of patients who have been infected with EBV.
  • Hearing test: A procedure to check whether soft and loud sounds and low- and high-pitched sounds can be heard. Each ear is checked separately.

Certain factors affect chance of recovery and treatment options.

Prognosis (chance of recovery) depends on the following:

  • The size of the tumor.
  • The stage of the cancer, including whether cancer has spread to one or more lymph nodes in the neck.
  • A high level of EBV antibodies and EBV-DNA markers in the blood before and after treatment.
Other factors that may affect prognosis include:
  • Age.
  • Long period of time between biopsy and start of radiation therapy.
  • Family history.
  • Tobacco smoking.
  • Salted fish in the diet.
Stages of Nasopharyngeal Cancer

After nasopharyngeal cancer has been diagnosed, tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the nasopharynx or to other parts of the body.

The process used to find out if cancer has spread within nasopharynx or to other parts of the body is called staging. The information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease. It is important to know the stage in order to plan treatment. The results of the tests used to diagnose nasopharyngeal cancer are also used to stage the disease.

There are three ways that cancer spreads in the body.

Cancer can spread through tissue, the lymph system, and the blood:

  • Tissue. The cancer spreads from where it began by growing into nearby areas.
  • Lymph system. The cancer spreads from where it began by getting into the lymph system. The cancer travels through the lymph vessels to other parts of the body.
  • Blood. The cancer spreads from where it began by getting into the blood. The cancer travels through the blood vessels to other parts of the body.

Cancer may spread from where it began to other parts of the body.

When cancer spreads to another part of the body, it is called metastasis. Cancer cells break away from where they began (the primary tumor) and travel through the lymph system or blood.

  • Lymph system. The cancer gets into the lymph system, travels through the lymph vessels, and forms a tumor (metastatic tumor) in another part of the body.
  • Blood. The cancer gets into the blood, travels through the blood vessels, and forms a tumor (metastatic tumor) in another part of the body.

The metastatic tumor is the same type of cancer as the primary tumor. For example, if nasopharyngeal cancer spreads to the lung, the cancer cells in the lung are actually nasopharyngeal cancer cells. The disease is metastatic nasopharyngeal cancer, not lung cancer.

The following stages are used for nasopharyngeal cancer:

Stage 0 (Carcinoma in Situ)

In stage 0, abnormal cells are found in the lining of the nasopharynx. These abnormal cells may become cancer and spread into nearby normal tissue. Stage 0 is also called carcinoma in situ.

Stage I

In stage I, cancer has formed and the cancer:

  • is found in the nasopharynx only; or
  • has spread from the nasopharynx to the oropharynx and/or to the nasal cavity.

Stage II

In stage II, one of the following is true:

  • Cancer has spread to one or more lymph nodes on one side of the neck and/or to one or more lymph nodes on one or both sides of the back of the throat. The affected lymph nodes are 6 centimeters or smaller. Cancer is found:
    • in the nasopharynx only or has spread from the nasopharynxto the oropharynx and/or to the nasal cavity; or, has extended into the pharyngeal spaces, and/or adjacent soft tissue of prevertebral muscles or pterygoid muscles, or
    • only in the lymph nodes in the neck. The cancer cells in the lymph nodes are infected with Epstein-Barr virus.
  • Cancer has spread to the parapharyngeal space and/or nearby muscles. Cancer may have also spread to one or more lymph nodes on one side of the neck and/or to one or more lymph nodes on one or both sides of the back of the throat. The affected lymph nodes are 6 centimeters or smaller.

Stage III

In stage III, one of the following is true:

  • Cancer has spread to one or more lymph nodes on both sides of the neck. The affected lymph nodes are 6 centimeters or smaller. Cancer is found:
    • in the nasopharynx only or has spread from the nasopharynx to the oropharynx and/or to the nasal cavity; or
    • has spread to the parapharyngeal space and/or nearby muscles. Cancer has also spread to one or more lymph nodes on one or both sides of the neck. The affected lymph nodes are 6 centimeters or smaller.
    • only in the lymph nodes in the neck. The cancer cells in the lymph nodes are infected with Epstein-Barr virus (a virus linked to nasopharyngeal cancer).
  • Cancer has spread to the bones at the bottom of the skull, the bones in the neck, jaw muscles, and/or the sinuses around the nose and eyes. Cancer may have also spread to one or more lymph nodes on one or both sides of the neck and/or the back of the throat. The affected lymph nodes are 6 centimeters or smaller. In stage III, cancer has formed in the supraglottis, glottis, or subglottis area of the larynx:

Stage IV is the most advanced stage where cancer may have spread intracranially, involving cranial nerves, into the hypopharynx/orbit or parotid gland.

Treatment Options Overview

Three types of standard treatment are used:

Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. There are two types of radiation therapy:

  • External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer.
  • Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer.

The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated. External radiation therapy is used to treat laryngeal cancer.

External radiation therapy to the thyroid or the pituitary gland may change the way the thyroid gland works. A blood test to check the thyroid hormone level in the blood is done before and after therapy to make sure the thyroid gland is working properly. It is also important that a dentist check the patient’s teeth, gums, and mouth, and fix any existing problems before radiation therapy begins.

Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly into the cerebrospinal fluid, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy). The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.

Chemotherapy may be given after radiation therapy to kill any cancer cells that are left. Treatment given after radiation therapy, to lower the risk that the cancer will come back, is called adjuvant therapy.

Surgery is a procedure to find out whether cancer is present, to remove cancer from the body, or to repair a body part. Also called an operation. Surgery is sometimes used for nasopharyngeal cancer that does not respond to radiation therapy. If cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, the doctor may remove lymph nodes and other tissues in the neck.

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