What causes nasopharyngeal cancer and how to best prevent it

What causes nasopharyngeal cancer? How to best prevent it?

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a type of cancer that occurs in the pharyngeal recesses and anterior wall of the nasopharynx. The lesions can take on various forms, including nodular, ulcerative, and submucosal infiltrates. The vast majority are poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas.

The main symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma are generally: bloody mucus due to the primary cancer breaking through the surface mucosa, often with blood or blood clots in the nasal secretions during respiration, which is more common in the morning and is one of the early symptoms.

When the cancer ulcerates in the late stage, there may be purulent discharge or cause heavy bleeding that is difficult to stop, and even life-threatening. In the early stage, there is usually no nasal congestion. When the cancer blocks the posterior nostril, it may cause unilateral or bilateral nasal congestion.

The causes of nasopharyngeal carcinoma are mainly the following three aspects:

1. Genetic factors: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma mainly occurs in the yellow race, mostly in countries in Asia and the South Pacific. Overseas Chinese and their descendants living in low-incidence areas still have a high incidence trend. It is more common for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma to have a family history.

2. Viral infection: In recent years, it is generally believed that Epstein-Barr virus is closely related to the occurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. However, Epstein-Barr virus is widely present in people all over the world, and the occurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma has obvious regional characteristics, which shows that Epstein-Barr virus infection is not the only factor causing nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

3. Environmental factors: may be related to a variety of chemical carcinogens, such as nitrosamines and trace elements such as nickel. Vitamin deficiency and sex hormone imbalance can change the sensitivity of the mucosa to carcinogens.