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Nasopharyngeal Cancer

  • Chapter
Radiation Oncology

Part of the book series: Medical Radiology ((Med Radiol Radiat Oncol))

Abstract

Carcinoma of the nasopharynx is a relatively uncommon disease in Western countries, but is the most commonly diagnosed head and neck malignancy in Southeast Asia. Most nasopharyngeal cancers are of epithelial origin. The nonkeratinizing poorly or un-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma [i.e., World Health Organization (WHO) type II and III diseases] are the more commonly diagnosed pathologies in Asia and account for almost 95% of all cases; however, 75% of cases are WHO type I in North America. Radiation therapy is the primary treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer. As nasopharyngeal cancer tends to present with regional metastasis, and is sensitive to both chemotherapy and radiation therapy, multidisciplinary management is usually required for locally advanced disease. This chapter examines:

  • Recommendations for diagnosis and staging procedures for nasopharyngeal cancer

  • Staging systems and prognostic factors

  • Management of nasopharyngeal cancer using radiation therapy (for early stage disease) and combined treatment based on radiation therapy and cytotoxic chemotherapy, as well as the supporting scientific evidence

  • Techniques of radiation therapy including intensity-modulated radiation therapy Follow up care and surveillance of survivors

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, Box 22, New York, NY, 10021, USA

    Nancy Lee MD

  2. Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Fudan University, 270 Dong An Road, Shanghai, 200032, P.R. China

    Lin Kong MD

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  1. Nancy Lee MD
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiation Oncology National University Cancer Institute of Singapore National University Health System, National University of Singapore, 5 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119074, Singapore

    Jiade J. Lu MD, MBA (Associate Professor and Consultant and Distinguished Clinical Professor) (Associate Professor and Consultant and Distinguished Clinical Professor)

  2. Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Fudan University, 270 Dong An Road, Shanghai, 200232, P.R. China

    Jiade J. Lu MD, MBA (Associate Professor and Consultant and Distinguished Clinical Professor) (Associate Professor and Consultant and Distinguished Clinical Professor)

  3. College of Medicine, Drexel University, Broad & Vine Sts., Mail Stop 200, Philadelphia, PA, 19102-1192, USA

    Luther W. Brady MD (Hylda Cohn/American Cancer Society Professor of Clinical Oncology, and Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology Distinguished University Professor) (Hylda Cohn/American Cancer Society Professor of Clinical Oncology, and Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology Distinguished University Professor)

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Lee, N., Kong, L. (2008). Nasopharyngeal Cancer. In: Lu, J.J., Brady, L.W. (eds) Radiation Oncology. Medical Radiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-77385-6_2

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