Late symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

What is nasopharyngeal cancer? Many people may not know this. In fact, nasopharyngeal cancer is a malignant tumor that occurs on the top and side walls of the nasopharyngeal cavity. What are the symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer in the late stage? How should nasopharyngeal cancer be treated in the late stage? Today, the editor will answer them one by one for you. Those who are interested can take a look.

Advanced symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

In our lives, many people often don't know about nasopharyngeal cancer. Therefore, many people don't know what the symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer are. But it doesn't matter, the editor below will introduce it to you.

1. Eye symptoms

If the tumor invades the orbit or eye-related nerves, the late-stage symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma may include visual impairment or even blindness, visual field loss, diplopia, proptosis and limited movement, neuroparalytic keratitis, etc. Optic nerve atrophy and edema can be seen in fundus examination. Most of these manifestations are in the late stage, but some patients still seek medical treatment for these symptoms.

2. Symptoms of cranial nerve damage

As nasopharyngeal carcinoma infiltrates the surrounding areas, compression of any cranial nerve will lead to corresponding late-stage symptoms and signs of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. However, the trigeminal nerve, abducens nerve, glossopharyngeal nerve, and hypoglossal nerve are more often affected, while the facial nerve, olfactory nerve, and auditory nerve are less affected.

3. Swollen cervical lymph nodes

Most patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma will have the tumor metastasize to the cervical lymph nodes in the late stage, causing swollen cervical lymph nodes without pain and hardness.

4. Distant metastasis

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma can metastasize to various parts of the body, but is most common in bones, lungs, and liver. Metastasis can occur to multiple organs at the same time. Depending on the location of metastasis, corresponding advanced symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma will appear.

5. Cachexia

The terminal stage of nasopharyngeal cancer may lead to death, or death due to sudden hemorrhage. This is also a common late-stage symptom of nasopharyngeal cancer.

6. Nasal congestion

The tumor invades the posterior nares and nasal cavity, and may cause obvious nasal congestion symptoms.

7. Bloody nose or nasal obstruction

Because the tumor blood vessels in the nasopharyngeal cavity are relatively fragile, the tumor surface is often covered with numerous membranes, so there is a symptom of bloody mucus, which is one of the early symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. In severe cases, a large amount of nasal obstruction may occur. Bloody mucus often occurs in the morning after getting up, and bloody mucus is discharged from the mouth. The amount of blood is not large, and it is often neglected by patients or is mistaken for hemoptysis and sent to the respiratory department for diagnosis and treatment. This symptom is more common in patients with ulcers or cauliflower-shaped tumors on the surface.

8. Ptosis and fixed eyeballs

This symptom is mainly related to oculomotor nerve damage. This symptom will cause the patient to experience vision loss or disappearance and nerve damage. There will also be symptoms of hoarseness and difficulty swallowing.

9. Double vision

The tumor invades the abducens nerve, which often causes double vision. The invasion of the trochlear nerve often causes inward strabismus and diplopia. The trigeminal nerve is often damaged at the same time.

10. Tinnitus and hearing loss

The tumor infiltrates and compresses the Eustachian tube, causing negative pressure in the tympanic cavity.

11. Headache

The most common symptom of nasopharyngeal cancer is persistent unilateral pain, mostly located on the top of the face.

12. Tongue muscle atrophy and tongue deviation

Direct invasion of nasopharyngeal carcinoma or lymph node metastasis to the posterior styloid process or hypoglossal nerve canal may cause the hypoglossal nerve to be invaded, causing the tongue to deviate to the affected side, accompanied by atrophy of the tongue muscles on the affected side. If the hypoglossal nerves on both sides are damaged, it will cause difficulty in extending the tongue. The incidence of tongue deviation is second only to facial anesthesia.

13. Facial numbness

Refers to numbness of facial skin, clinical examination shows decreased or absent pain and touch sensation. Tumor invasion of the cavernous sinus often causes damage to the first or second branch of the trigeminal nerve; tumor invasion of the oval foramen, the anterior area of ​​the styloid process, and the third branch of the trigeminal nerve often causes numbness or paresthesia of the skin in the front of the auricle, temporal region, cheek, lower lip, and chin.