What are the treatment options for nasopharyngeal cancer

The main treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer is radiotherapy, which can be combined with chemotherapy drugs. Surgery is not the preferred treatment option. Most of nasopharyngeal cancers are low-differentiated squamous carcinoma, radiotherapy is the first choice of treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer, usually using cobalt 60 or linear gas pedal high-energy radiotherapy. Early stage nasopharyngeal cancer can be cured by radiotherapy alone. However, middle and advanced nasopharyngeal cancer often needs to choose the comprehensive treatment mode of radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy in order to achieve better therapeutic effect. Chemotherapy can be divided into induction chemotherapy, synchronous chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy according to the different timing of drug use. Among them, induction chemotherapy refers to chemotherapy 2-3 weeks before radiotherapy, which is applicable to patients with large tumors of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and the commonly used drugs are cisplatin, paclitaxel, fluorouracil, etc. Synchronous chemotherapy refers to the simultaneous application of chemotherapeutic drugs to patients with intermediate and advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the course of radiotherapy and the commonly used drugs are cisplatin, carboplatin, etc. Adjuvant chemotherapy refers to the consolidation of therapeutic effect by applying chemotherapeutic drugs for 2-3 weeks after the end of radiotherapy. In clinical diagnosis and treatment, adjuvant chemotherapy can achieve better therapeutic effect for patients with abnormal copy amount of EBV. Surgery is not the first choice in the treatment program for nasopharyngeal cancer patients. Surgery can be considered for patients with local recurrence or failure of local radiotherapy. Surgical methods include traditional surgery and nasal endoscopy. Others: some nasopharyngeal cancer patients can also choose targeted drugs or immunotherapy drugs, such as cetuximab, nituzumab, PD-1/PD-L1 monoclonal antibody analogs, and so on. Overall, the treatment plan for nasopharyngeal cancer patients needs to be formulated by specialists according to the patients’ conditions and previous therapeutic effects, and it is recommended that nasopharyngeal cancer patients follow the diagnosis and treatment suggestions of specialists and standardize the treatment. The drugs mentioned above should be used under the guidance of physicians, and should not be used indiscriminately, and other specific matters can be consulted with specialists.