What are the symptoms of advanced metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is familiar to people today. During the treatment process, patients should not be overly nervous and should have a correct attitude. So, what are the symptoms of late-stage metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma?

Due to the hidden anatomical location of the nasopharynx, the early symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma are atypical, and clinical diagnosis is easily delayed, so special vigilance should be exercised. Its common symptoms are:

1. In the early stage of nasal symptoms, there may be blood in the retracted snot or blood in the blown snot, which may appear and disappear at times and usually does not attract the attention of patients. The continuous enlargement of the tumor may block the nostrils and cause nasal congestion, which starts on one side and then on both sides.

2. Ear symptoms: Tumors occurring in the pharyngeal recess may compress or block the pharyngeal opening of the Eustachian tube in the early stages, causing tinnitus, ear closure, hearing loss, and tympanic cavity effusion on that side, which can be easily misdiagnosed as secretory otitis media clinically.

The symptoms of advanced metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma are specific, and are introduced below:

1. Symptoms of cranial nerve damage: As nasopharyngeal carcinoma infiltrates the surrounding areas, any cranial nerve that is compressed will cause corresponding symptoms and signs. 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.

2. Eye symptoms: If the tumor invades the orbit or eye-related nerves, visual impairment or even blindness, visual field loss, diplopia, protrusion of the eyeball and limited movement, neuroparalytic keratitis, etc. may occur. Optic nerve atrophy and edema can be seen in fundus examination. These manifestations are mostly in the late stage, but some patients still seek medical treatment for this symptom.

3. Cachexia: a terminal manifestation, which may lead to death. Death may also occur due to sudden massive bleeding. There may be bleeding symptoms, which may be manifested as blood in sputum after nasal suction or blood in mucus when blowing the nose. In the early stage, there is only a small amount of blood in sputum or mucus, which may appear or disappear. The symptoms before death in the late stage of nasopharyngeal cancer are more bleeding and may include nosebleeds.

Through the above introduction, patients can understand the symptoms of advanced metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma more clearly.