Nasopharyngeal cancer, the symptoms of which are fundamentally different from other types of cancer, are most often diagnosed in men after 45 years. But everyone can be at risk. Symptoms of cancer of the larynx, oropharynx, nasopharynx, and nose are similar. The discomfort that causes this disease causes the patient to consult a doctor who prescribes a full examination. Treatment will depend on the severity and neglect of the cancer.
Features of the disease
A tumor formed in the nasopharynx can be of two types:
To benign include:
Benign education is rare, most often it is diagnosed in children (it can be congenital). But a malignant tumor of the nasopharynx is a problem of people aged, in most cases men.
Causes
The main causes of the disease:
- Smoking. This group of people includes those who are just near a smoking person (second-hand smoke). The cells of the nasal mucosa are irritated by smoke, if you just inhale it, but do not smoke yourself. But smokers have a much higher chance of getting cancer.
- Frequent use of products treated with pesticides, various seasonings. Carcinogens are considered very harmful.
- Dentures. The mere fact of wearing prostheses does not mean that it is a guarantee of nasopharyngeal cancer. If the prosthesis was incorrectly selected for the person, it does not suit him well, that is, the risk of developing a tumor. When such a person also smokes, the material from which his prosthesis is made absorbs tobacco smoke. This becomes an additional risk factor.
- Alcohol abuse. Alcohol can irritate the pharyngeal mucosa, which leads to the development of the disease. How often does nasopharyngeal cancer occur for this reason? Symptoms of the disease in 75% of the total number of patients occur in those who love alcohol.
- Papillomavirus. If the human body has this virus, then the risk of getting nasopharyngeal cancer is high.
- Leukoplakia. This is a disease that is considered a precancerous condition. It manifests itself as white spots on the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx.
Risk factors
There is a group of people who have a much higher chance of getting cancer:
- 40-50 year old men;
- in contact with the Epstein – Barr virus;
- patients with HIV and mononucleosis;
- received ionizing radiation;
- with an autoimmune condition.
Signs
How does nasopharyngeal cancer manifest itself? Symptoms of this tumor occur in the early stages. The reason is that the nasopharynx is significantly limited by the bones, and this leads to compression of the tumor, which is just beginning to develop.
Symptoms of cancer of the nose and nasopharynx are similar to each other:
- constant nasal congestion (reminiscent of allergic rhinitis or a common cold, but there are no other signs);
- purulent discharge appears from the nose, sometimes with blood impurities.
Cancer of the nasopharynx and pharynx are symptoms that can indicate both one and the other disease:
- pain during eating, and even when swallowing saliva;
- paroxysmal cough;
- hoarseness of voice;
- persistent discomfort in the mouth;
- changing the tone of voice.
Other signs:
- hearing impairment;
- problems with speech;
- periodic bifurcation in the eyes;
- headache.
In the later stages, body weight begins to decrease, and cervical lymph nodes increase.
All of the above symptoms can talk about any other disease. Therefore, only a qualified doctor can make an accurate diagnosis after a full examination.
Important!
A person may himself suspect nasopharyngeal cancer. Symptoms combine somehow strangely: discharge from the nose simultaneously occurs with hoarseness, speech impairment.
Diagnostics
The examination begins when the patient is treated with characteristic signs. One of the main symptoms is an enlargement of the cervical lymph nodes. Sometimes this symptom is the only one with nasopharyngeal cancer.
The doctor primarily draws attention to:
- signs that the patient talks about;
- numbness of the skin;
- the condition of the lymph nodes.
Due to the deep location of the nasopharynx, it cannot be visually examined without auxiliary devices. There are cases when the tumor is located under the mucous membrane, which requires a biopsy.
Diagnostic methods that must be used to make an accurate diagnosis:
- X-rays of light. This examination is necessary in order to exclude metastases in the lungs.
- CT and MRI. The doctor can examine the tumor in detail in section.
- Biopsy. Using a puncture, tissues are taken for examination.
- Blood analysis. It helps to determine if there are any concomitant pathologies in the body.
Nasopharyngeal cancer is very insidious. Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment depend on the stage of the disease. The doctor, before starting therapy, determines this stage. The size of education and its prevalence throughout the body are taken into account.
Treatment
Therapy is selected individually, depending on the stage of the disease. The age of the patient and his general state of health are also taken into account. The main methods:
- radiation therapy;
- chemotherapy;
- operation.
Radiation therapy
This method of treatment is considered the main one. In the initial stages, they resort only to radiation therapy, and in the later stages they are combined with other methods of treatment, in frequency with chemotherapy. The principle of exposure is the irradiation of the tumor and nearby tissues.
Radiation therapy affects cancer cells and slows their growth. When irradiation was carried out, then in the future the patient is shown additional procedures for prevention. Indeed, sometimes particles of metastases remain in the lymph nodes. They cannot be considered due to their small size.
The disadvantage of this treatment method is that it affects not only bad cells, but also the general state of human health. Radiation therapy is used before and after surgery.
Chemotherapy
With this treatment method, tumor cells are suppressed and destroyed. The doctor prescribes cytotoxic drugs that perform their work from the inside out.
Chemotherapy is combined with other treatments. But, as a rule, it is prescribed before radiation therapy and after surgery. The goal is to completely destroy the tumor cells in all tissues.
Operation
Surgical intervention is aimed at removing:
- tumor residues;
- enlarged lymph nodes.
If the tumor has not spread to other organs, then surgical intervention should not cause any difficulties during operation. If metastases were found in other organs, the surgeon excised a part of the damaged organ.
Survival
According to statistics, nasopharyngeal cancer, symptoms whose treatment depends on the stage, in most cases kills a person. If the disease was diagnosed at an early stage, then the chance of survival is 70% in cases where the patient is no more than 45 years old. Older people 60–70 years of age are less likely to survive with this diagnosis - 35%. A tumor in the nasopharynx is more often formed than in the oropharynx.
We must not lose sight of the fact that in recent years this diagnosis has been made less and less. Many people give up smoking, which is one of the common causes of cancer.
Prevention
A healthy lifestyle is the main measure for the prevention of nasopharyngeal cancer . A person should stop smoking, stop drinking alcohol. If you have to work in a factory where various harmful substances are used, you must wear a respirator to prevent chemical agents from entering the respiratory tract.
Everyone should undergo routine inspection regularly. If you adhere to this rule, then you can determine the disease at the initial stage, which can be treated.
Nasopharyngeal cancer is considered very dangerous. Symptoms, treatment and prevention - this is the information that everyone should know in order to prevent the development of the disease, and if the first signs appear, consult a doctor in time. If the cancer is at the initial stage, then with a full examination and proper treatment in a qualified medical center, there is a good chance to get rid of the tumor forever.