General Information About Nasopharyngeal Cancer

Nasopharyngeal cancer is a type of head and neck cancer that starts in the tissues of the nasopharynx.

The pharynx is a hollow tube in the neck about 5 inches long that is made up of three parts:

• The nasopharynx is the upper part of the pharynx, located behind the nose. The nostrils are connected to the nasopharynx. Openings on each side of the nasopharynx lead to the ears.
• The oropharynx is the middle part, located beneath the nasopharynx.
• The hypopharynx is the lowermost part of the pharynx, opening up to both the trachea (windpipe) and esophagus.

When we breathe or swallow, the pharynx acts as a passageway for air to reach the lungs and food to reach the stomach. Nasopharyngeal cancer commonly begins in the squamous cells that line the nasopharynx.

Being exposed to the Epstein-Barr virus, your ancestry, and where you live can affect the risk of nasopharyngeal cancer.

Nasopharyngeal cancer is caused by certain changes in how nasopharyngeal cells function, especially how they grow and divide into new cells. There are many risk factors for nasopharyngeal cancer, but many do not directly cause cancer. Instead, they increase the chance of DNA damage in cells that may lead to nasopharyngeal cancer. Learn more about how cancer develops at What Is Cancer?

A risk factor is anything that increases a person's chance of getting a disease. Some risk factors for nasopharyngeal cancer, like tobacco use, can be changed. Risk factors also include things you cannot change, like your family history. Learning about risk factors for nasopharyngeal cancer can help you make choices that might prevent or lower your risk of getting it.

Risk factors for nasopharyngeal cancer include:

• being infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)
• living in or having ancestry in certain parts of Asia, North Africa, and the Arctic
• having a family member with nasopharyngeal cancer
• using tobacco or breathing in secondhand smoke
• frequent and heavy alcohol use
• having a diet high in salt-cured fish and meats because these foods may contain cancer-causing chemicals, such as nitrosamine

Nasopharyngeal cancer can occur at any age. In areas where the disease is not common, it is more likely to be diagnosed in people who are older than 50 years. In high-risk areas, younger people are more likely to be affected. Men tend to develop nasopharyngeal cancer more often than women. In rare cases, human papillomavirus (HPV), especially HPV type 16, has been linked to nasopharyngeal cancer. Learn about HPV and Cancer.

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

The signs and symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer can vary from person to person. Early signs and symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer may include:

• a lump in the neck
• pain, pulsing, or ringing in the ear
• trouble hearing
• a sore throat
• stuffy nose
• nosebleeds

Signs and symptoms of advanced nasopharyngeal cancer (nasopharyngeal cancer that has spread to other parts of the body) may include symptoms of early-stage nasopharyngeal cancer and:

• misalignment of the eyes (strabismus)
• double vision
• headaches
• facial numbness
• facial weakness

These problems may be caused by conditions other than nasopharyngeal cancer. Check with your doctor if you have any of these problems to find out the cause and begin treatment, if needed.

Tests that examine the nose, throat, and nearby organs are used to diagnose and stage nasopharyngeal cancer.

If you have symptoms that suggest nasopharyngeal cancer, your doctor will need to find out if these are due to cancer or another problem. They will ask when the symptoms started and how often you have been having them. They will also ask about your personal and family health history and do a physical exam. Based on these results, the doctor may recommend other tests. If you are diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer, the results of these tests will help you and your doctor plan treatment.

The following tests and procedures are used to diagnose and stage nasopharyngeal cancer:

• Nasopharyngoscopy with biopsy is a procedure to examine the inside of the nose and back of the throat. The doctor inserts a nasopharyngoscope (a thin, flexible lighted tube) in the nose and advances it to the back of the throat to check for abnormal areas. The nasopharyngoscope may have a tool to remove a sample of cells or tissue (biopsy) so a pathologist can view it under a microscope to check for signs of cancer. Learn about the type of information that can be found in a pathologist's report about the cells or tissue removed during a biopsy at Pathology Reports.
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) 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-CT scan combines pictures from a positron emission tomography (PET) scan and a computed tomography (CT) scan. The PET and CT scans are done at the same time on the same machine. The combined pictures make a more detailed picture than either test would make by itself.
  • For the PET scan, a small amount of radioactive glucose (sugar) is injected into a vein. The scanner rotates around the body and makes a picture of where glucose is being used in the body. Because cancer cells often take up more glucose than normal cells, the pictures can be used to find cancer cells in the body.
  • For the CT scan, a series of detailed x-ray pictures of areas inside the body is taken from different angles. A dye may be injected into a vein or swallowed to help the organs or tissues show up more clearly.
• Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) test is a blood test to check for antibodies and DNA markers that are found in the blood of people who have been infected with EBV.
• Human papillomavirus (HPV) test is a laboratory test used to check a sample of tissue for certain types of HPV infection. An HPV test is usually done if the EBV test is negative. This is because in rare cases, HPV can cause nasopharyngeal cancer.
• A neurological exam uses a series of questions and tests to check brain, spinal cord, and nerve function. The exam checks your 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.
• A hearing test checks your ability to hear soft and loud sounds and low- and high-pitched sounds. Each ear is checked separately. This test is done because nasopharyngeal cancer and its treatment can affect hearing. Hearing tests are usually done before, during, and after treatment.
• Blood chemistry study is a laboratory test 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 unusual (higher or lower than normal) amount of a substance can be a sign of disease.
• Complete blood count (CBC) is a laboratory test in which a sample of blood is drawn and checked for:
  • the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets
  • the amount of hemoglobin (the substance in the blood that carries oxygen) in the red blood cells
  • the amount of hematocrit (whole blood that is made up of red blood cells)
  

Some people may decide to get a second opinion.

You may want to get a second opinion to confirm your nasopharyngeal cancer diagnosis and treatment plan. If you seek a second opinion, you will need to get medical test results and reports from the first doctor to share with the second doctor. The second doctor will review the pathology report, slides, and scans. They may agree with the first doctor, suggest changes or another treatment approach, or provide more information about your cancer.

Learn more about choosing a doctor and getting a second opinion at Finding Cancer Care. You can contact NCI's Cancer Information Service via chat, email, or phone (both in English and Spanish) for help finding a doctor, hospital, or getting a second opinion. For questions you might want to ask at your appointments, visit Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Cancer.

Certain factors affect prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options.

The prognosis and treatment options depend on:

• the size of the tumor
• the stage of the cancer, including whether cancer has spread to one or more lymph nodes in the neck
• whether there are high levels of EBV antibodies and EBV-DNA markers in the blood before and after treatment