Causes of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is one of the most common tumors in my country, ranking first among head and neck tumors. It is most common in Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Hunan and other provinces. In the early stage of clinical manifestations, blood may appear in the mucus; if the tumor grows and compresses the pharyngeal opening of the Eustachian tube, it may cause symptoms of otitis media such as tinnitus, stuffy ears and hearing loss; 60% of patients seek medical treatment because of swollen lymph nodes in the neck; when the tumor continues to grow upward, it destroys the bones of the skull base and invades the V and VI cranial nerves, resulting in corresponding symptoms; patients with advanced tumors may experience distant metastasis.

Etiology and pathogenesis

1. Genetic factors: nasopharyngeal carcinoma has a tendency to cluster in families and has racial susceptibility

2. EB virus infection: There are EB virus antibodies in the serum of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients, and the antibody titer increases with the progression of the disease.

3. Environmental factors: The content of trace element nickel in rice and water in areas with a high incidence of NPC is higher than that in areas with a low incidence. This is also related to the fact that residents in high-incidence areas like to eat salted fish, cured meat and other foods.

Treatment principles

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is sensitive to radiotherapy, so radiotherapy is generally the first choice. However, for residual or local recurrence after radiotherapy, selective surgery is still an effective means. Adjuvant chemotherapy can be considered for patients with advanced tumors.