What are the treatments for nasopharyngeal carcinoma and what are the contraindications?

What are the treatments for nasopharyngeal carcinoma? Are there any contraindications?

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is one of the most common malignant tumors in my country. It is more common in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Fujian, Jiangxi and other provinces in southern my country. The incidence rate in men is 2 to 3 times that in women. According to reports from my country, the high-incidence age group is 30 to 50 years old. It often occurs in the pharyngeal recess and the anterior wall of the nasopharynx. The lesions can be nodular, ulcerative, submucosal infiltrating and other forms. The vast majority are poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas.

Treatments for nasopharyngeal cancer include:

First: Radiotherapy is one of the main methods for treating nasopharyngeal carcinoma. External irradiation can be performed in a continuous or segmented manner. Although the long-term efficacy of the two methods is similar, the total time of the former is shorter, and the reaction after radiotherapy is more severe; the total radiotherapy time of the latter is longer, but the reaction after radiotherapy is milder. Appropriate selection should be made according to the specific situation of the patient.

Second: combined chemotherapy: Combination chemotherapy is often used for mid-term chemotherapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and its effect is better than single drug chemotherapy. It is usually used in combination with mid-term radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, with better short-term efficacy, but little benefit for long-term treatment.

Things to note when treating nasopharyngeal carcinoma include:

1. Preventing radiation-induced tooth decay: Clean teeth regularly and remove decayed teeth before radiotherapy. Rinse your mouth after meals during radiotherapy and brush your teeth with fluoride-containing toothpaste. Patients can apply toothpaste on their teeth first and brush their teeth after 2 to 3 minutes to increase the contact time between fluoride and teeth.

2. Protect the skin in the radiation area: The skin area receiving radiation therapy is prohibited from scratching, scrubbing with soap or other irritating liquids, and exposure to the sun. Patients are advised to wear loose cotton clothes. The lines of the radiation area should be clearly drawn, and ask the doctor to help add them if necessary.

3. Functional exercise: often do exercises such as neck rotation, teeth tapping, cheek puffing, smiling, and mouth opening. Patients with dry mouth can use pear slices in their mouths to relieve discomfort; patients with radiation pharyngitis can gargle with oral pharyngitis mixture before meals and before going to bed.