Overview
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a distinct malignancy within head and neck cancers, differing in its biology, epidemiology, histology, natural history, and treatment response 1. Nonkeratinizing histology is common in NPC 1.Diagnosis
Diagnosis is based on clinical presentation, imaging, and biopsy 1.Management
Radiotherapy (RT) is the cornerstone of locoregional treatment for non-disseminated disease 1.
Combination of chemotherapy with RT improves survival rates 1.
For metastatic disease, treatment involves platinum/gemcitabine-based chemotherapy, which can lead to long survival times 1.Key Recommendations
Radiotherapy is the cornerstone of locoregional treatment for non-disseminated nasopharyngeal carcinoma 1. (Evidence: Moderate)
Combining chemotherapy with radiotherapy improves survival rates for nasopharyngeal carcinoma 1. (Evidence: Moderate)
Platinum/gemcitabine-based chemotherapy is indicated for metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma 1. (Evidence: Moderate)References
1 Rueda Domínguez A, Cirauqui B, García Castaño A, Alvarez Cabellos R, Carral Maseda A, Castelo Fernández B et al.. SEOM-TTCC clinical guideline in nasopharynx cancer (2021). Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico 2022. link