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Written by: Xu YunPhotography: Hong Zhifu
The most distinctive feature of nasopharyngeal carcinoma is that the older the patients with other cancers, the higher the incidence rate; nasopharyngeal carcinoma is relatively early, with the peak incidence between 40 and 60 years old, most notably in men, this age group It is the golden period, and the impact on life can be imagined. Otorhinolaryngologist Ng Kong-sang explained nasopharyngeal cancer, how to judge whether people are at high risk, how to screen early, and so on.
Guest host: Li Ganghui
Are men more prone to nasopharyngeal cancer than women?
Since the 1980s, Hong Kong has carried out cancer statistics every year. The figures for many years have shown that the number of men with nasopharyngeal cancer is three times higher than that of women. I personally believe that it is a genetic problem. Generally, the causes of the disease are divided into three categories, namely genetic problems , infection by Epstein-barr virus, and exposure to carcinogens.
Is it easy to cause nasopharyngeal cancer if you like to eat salted fish?
Hong Kong conducted related research in the 1970s, and the results showed that if children eat salted fish as the main food, it is indeed closely related to nasopharyngeal cancer. Laboratory studies have found that pickled food will produce carcinogens, and animals such as hamsters , following eating, it will increase the chance of intranasal cancer lesions; however, with the changes in living habits, diet and food storage, in the past 30 to 40 years, it is common to use refrigerators to preserve food instead of pickling in the early years, but nasopharyngeal The number of cancer patients has not changed much, so eating salted fish is easy to get nasopharyngeal cancer, this statement lacks some evidence.
Studies in the 1970s showed that salted fish as a staple food in childhood was closely related to nasopharyngeal cancer. After many years, there is no scientific evidence for this statement.
If you feel a lump in your neck, is frequent nosebleed a sign of nasopharyngeal cancer?
There is a lump at the back of the neck and frequent nosebleeds. If these two conditions occur at the same time, it is indeed a typical symptom of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The nasopharynx is the place where lymphatic fluid runs. Early cancer cells have not metastasized, and there are basically no symptoms. When it spreads to the neck, the side of the neck, or the back of the neck, swelling will appear. Clinically, it is judged that most of the lymph nodes are swollen. Therefore, lumps appear in the neck, and frequent nosebleeds become the main symptoms.
What are the symptoms of early nasopharyngeal carcinoma?
The earliest nasopharyngeal carcinoma can be asymptomatic, because the nasopharynx has no special function, it is difficult to detect symptoms in the early stage, when the tumor gradually grows larger, the first stage will be nasal congestion, starting from one side, and gradually becoming both sides The tissue near the nasopharynx, such as the Eustachian tube, connects the middle ear to the nasopharynx. If it is pressed for a long time, the middle ear will accumulate fluid and tinnitus will continue to develop beyond the nasopharynx and spread to the lymphatic nucleus. There will be lumps, so nasopharyngeal cancer will have different symptoms at different stages.
A lump in the neck and frequent nosebleeds are typical symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Is there a family history of nasopharyngeal carcinoma?
The genetic factors of nasopharyngeal carcinoma are very strong. When we make a diagnosis, we will first ask the immediate family members whether they have any history of the disease. Fifteen to 20% of the patients have family members who have suffered from nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Taking a family as an example, if a parent has a history of nasopharyngeal cancer and one of his siblings also has the disease, the chance of this person suffering from nasopharyngeal cancer is nearly ten times higher than that of others.
How do doctors diagnose nasopharyngeal carcinoma?
There are different diagnostic methods for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in different situations. For patients with no symptoms in the early stage, we can find out whether the patient is at high risk by tracking the family history. Endoscopic examination, the results of the two methods combined are very accurate. When patients have different symptoms, including nasal congestion, nosebleeds, pressure sensation in the ears, hearing loss caused by tinnitus, and lumps in the neck, etc., nasopharyngeal endoscopy can help understand the development of the tumor. If you want more accurate information, carry out MRI scans can clearly understand the tumor below the surface.
The proportion of male patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Hong Kong is three times higher than that of females
How effective is the treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma?
For the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, the five-year survival rate is 90% in the first stage and 80% in the second stage. It is already a good effect for most cancers. In the third and fourth phases, the effect is of course not ideal, so the most important factor in the treatment effect of nasopharyngeal carcinoma is early detection.
Doctor profile
Dr. Wu Gangsheng—specialist in otolaryngology, Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong—Clinical professional consultant, professional application professor (by courtesy), Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Hong Kong University, Bachelor of Medicine, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, London, UK Diploma, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, UK, Fellow of the Hong Kong College of Otorhinolaryngologists, Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine (Otolaryngology).
