Nasopharyngeal cancer is a type of cancer that takes place in the upper part of the pharynx. This place appears behind the nose in the throat. The pharynx tube is hollow and starts behind the nose and ends at the top of the trachea. People at different stages of the cancer can have the cancer cells stretched beyond this tube. Nasopharyngeal cancer can occur in people of ethnic background, and those that have contacted the Epstein-Barr virus increase the chances of its influence. Vast consumption of alcohol is also known to be associated with the spread of the cancer or the circumstances of increasing its risk. An affected person may not feel any symptoms at the beginning of NPC, which later on, can get severe.
Signs Of Cancer
To prove whether you have contacted the head and nose cancer, knowing its signs is important. The symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer include several unarming ones that can be due to other reasons. Conducting a thorough examination from firms like Take2 Health can be the right thing to do.
Signs can consist of the following:
- Sore Throat
- Lump in the nose
- Trouble breathing
- Headaches
- Nosebleeds
- Hearing loss
- Pain in the ear
These and some more conditions can help you identify if you have the NPC and inform your doctor immediately to start tests and consider treatment options.
Tests To Determine
Simply having the above-stated conditions won’t determine the existence of the nose cancer. You have to complete a series of tests that can help you and your cancer physician to know the best treatment route. With the advent of technology in the health sector, there are now more advanced ways to diagnose cancer of this type that doesn’t show itself in the initial stages. Take2 Health is an advanced service for NPC testing that is thorough and noninvasive.
Get a nasopharyngeal cancer blood test service that can help determine the presence of the cancer and its stage by different tests. Here are some tests that your physician can take you through:
- Neurological exam
- Biopsy
- CT scan
- MRI
- Chest x-ray
- Ultrasound
- Epstein-Barr virus test
- HPV test
- Hearing Test
Stages & Treatments Of NPC
As with every type of cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer also has different stages and treatments for each. There are a total of five stages of NPC, and for each of them, the size of the tumor and other aspects determine the treatment and recovery option. After your staging process is clear that is used to determine the level of the cancer, your treatment is determined. The following are the three ways to treat NPC:
- Radiotherapy
- Chemotherapy
- Surgery
Depending on the stage and severity of your cancer, any two of these treatments may be required or all. After radiotherapy, chemotherapy may be used to wipe out any remaining cancer cells. And if surgery is performed, more treatment may be needed as the cancer changes stages. All of the treatments may be effective at any given stage of the tumor, but the doctor will tell you the best route to go with your condition.
