The incidence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma is high in China, and the incidence is even higher in the southeast coast.
The causes of nasopharyngeal cancer are not clear so far, but research shows that long-term consumption of salt-cured food is an important cause of nasopharyngeal cancer. In China, the high incidence of nasopharyngeal cancer is mostly in the age of 40-60, but there is a trend of younger age. The treatment effect of nasopharyngeal cancer is very good through radiation therapy in early stage.
First of all, bleeding is a common manifestation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in early stage, which can be manifested as blood in nasal mucus or blood in sputum after nasal aspiration.
In addition, nasal congestion is another early manifestation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, which is mostly unilateral, and it is persistent and progressively aggravated independent of body position. When the tumor enlarges, nasal congestion will occur on both sides.
Tumor blockage or invasion of the eustachian tube may cause secretory otitis media, resulting in tinnitus, ear stuffiness and hearing loss on that side. It is also one of the early manifestations of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. If adults have unilateral recurrent otitis media or untreated secretory otitis media, they should consider the possibility of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Early stage of nasopharyngeal carcinoma can also occur as cervical lymph node metastasis, which is a painless and progressively enlarging mass in the upper part of the neck with a hard texture and poor mobility.
The tumor may destroy the skull base and involve the trigeminal nerve and abducens nerve, which may cause pain in the top of the head, occipital region and temporal region. Due to the complexity of early symptoms, it is easy to misdiagnose or miss the diagnosis, which should cause people to be alert.
If any of the above conditions are found, you should go to the hospital for examination in time. It is better to do electronic nasopharyngoscopy, and those who are suspected of having lesions should take biopsy for pathological examination.