Stage II nasopharyngeal cancer has a higher risk of recurrence compared with stage I. The risk of recurrence of stage II nasopharyngeal cancer is higher than that of stage I.
The recurrence of nasopharyngeal cancer is closely related to how early or late the local staging is at the time of diagnosis, whether there are distant metastases, and also what treatments are received. The disease is also associated with EBV infection, which also increases the risk of recurrence.
Stage II nasopharyngeal cancer indicates that the tumor has extended outward from the nasopharynx to the oropharynx or nose, but there is no paranasal or lymph node invasion or distant metastasis. Some patients will have unilateral cervical lymph node metastasis of less than 6 centimeters.
With the application of precise treatment represented by intensity-modulated radiotherapy technology, the therapeutic effect of nasopharyngeal cancer has become more and more satisfactory, but 19% to 56% of patients still have local recurrence within 5 years after radiotherapy.
When patients with stage II nasopharyngeal cancer are discharged from the hospital after treatment, they should be reviewed regularly and standardized treatment should be followed as prescribed by doctors when signs of recurrence are found.