What Are The Stages of Nasopharyngeal Cancer Treatment?

The nasopharynx is the section of the throat that is located behind the nose and ends at the top of the trachea or windpipe. The nostrils run from the nose to the nasopharynx and contain an opening on each side that leads to the ears. Nasopharyngeal cancer generally begins in the squamous cells that border the oropharynx which is the part of the throat that is located behind the mouth.

Nasopharyngeal cancer is a type of cancer that forms in the soft tissues of the nasopharynx.

There are different stages of nasopharyngeal cancer therefore once a person has been diagnosed with this disease it is necessary for tests to be performed to determine which stage that person is at. By determining that it will be easier to determine what stages of nasopharyngeal cancer treatment is needed to correct the problem or at least slow down the progression of the cancer.

Some of the symptoms that may indicate the presence of this cancer include sore throat, ringing or pain in the ears, difficulty hearing, talking or breathing, severe headaches and nose bleeds as well as the presence of lumps in the nose of lymph nodes on one side of the neck. Chinese or Asian ethnicity as well as exposure to Epstein-Bar virus may also be a factor in the onset of this type of cancer.

Each different stage of nasopharyngeal cancer may and often does include one or more of the standard treatments for this disease. For each stage of the disease there are also one or more stages of nasopharyngeal cancer treatment that are used for that stage.

Stage I

The most often used treatment option is radiation to the tumor and the lymph nodes located in the neck. In some cases this is also when clinical trial options are presented and used.

Stage II

Treatment sometimes includes both chemotherapy and radiation treatments. The radiation therapy used is generally the same as that that is used in stage I treatments.

Stage III

It may involve a treatment plan that utilizes all three standard methods of treatment being radiation, chemotherapy and surgery. The radiation therapy used is often the same as that used in stages I and II and may be followed with an operation to remove any lymph nodes that still contain cancer or return after radiation therapy or to remove tumors that are still present.

Stage IV

All methods are used starting with radiation and progressing to surgery. In some cases additional chemotherapy may be used to treat any cancer that may have spread to other locations. Clinical trials may also be introduced or re-presented at this time especially if all previous treatments have failed.

After all stages of nasopharyngeal treatment have been utilized and been determined ineffective or unsuccessful an individual may once again be given the option of participating in various clinical trials. If these are also unsuccessful it may be necessary to undergo some treatments such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy a second time.

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