What sequelae may occur after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Most NPC patients are moderately sensitive to radiotherapy, so radiotherapy is the first choice for NPC patients. However, some NPC patients will have some sequelae after radiotherapy, such as dry mouth, tooth decay, difficulty opening the mouth, cervical fibrosclerosis, etc., which are inevitable in radical treatment of tumors.

Common sequelae after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma are as follows:

Dry mouth, tooth decay

Radiotherapy can damage the saliva secretion function of nasopharyngeal cancer patients and it is difficult to restore. Therefore, many nasopharyngeal cancer patients may experience dry mouth after radiotherapy. Since saliva contains various lysozymes, reduced secretion can lead to the proliferation of oral bacteria, which can cause patients to develop severe dental caries several years after radiotherapy.

Difficulty opening the mouth

5% to 10% of NPC patients experience difficulty opening their mouths after radiotherapy, which may be related to the high dose of radiation to the temporomandibular joint. Some patients have severe limitations in opening their mouths, which may even affect their eating and speaking.

Hearing loss, deafness

After radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients, 8% of patients will experience significant hearing loss, and 3% of patients will experience bilateral deafness, which is related to the high doses of radiation received by the patients' middle and inner ears.

Fibrosclerosis of the neck

Some nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients may develop fibrosis of the neck muscles and skin several years after radiotherapy, mainly manifested as atrophy of the neck muscles, thinning of the neck and thinning of the skin.

Central nervous system damage

During radiotherapy, the temporal lobe tissues on both sides of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients will be exposed to high doses of radiation, which can easily lead to radiation-induced brain damage, which is mainly manifested as memory loss, personality changes, headaches, etc.