Nasopharyngeal cancer requires physical examination, laboratory examination, imaging examination and pathological examination.
1. Physical examination: the main purpose is to clarify whether there are hard, poorly movable or inactive, painless enlarged lymph nodes in the upper part of the neck through neck palpation.
2. Laboratory examination: the main item is EBV serology examination, which can be used as an auxiliary index for the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal cancer. For nasopharyngeal cancer patients, this test can show that EBV deoxyribonucleic acid in plasma exists in the form of free flakes.
3. Imaging examination: CT examination can show that nasopharyngeal cancer lesions are slightly higher than surrounding tissues, and it can also show the destruction of bone at the base of the skull, which is meaningful to the staging of the disease and the formulation of treatment plan. Meanwhile, some nasopharyngeal cancer patients can also undergo MRI examination, which is better than CT examination in observing and distinguishing the soft tissues of the lesion, and it can determine the location and scope of the tumor as well as the invasion of neighboring structures.
4. Pathological examination: it is mainly a biopsy examination, which needs to take superficial tissues with the assistance of nasopharyngoscope or fiberoptic nasopharyngoscope, which can help to confirm the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal cancer.
Nasopharyngeal cancer patients are recommended to consult regular hospitals for examination to ensure the accuracy of the examination results, and actively treat the disease under doctors’ guidance to avoid delaying the condition.