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Diagnosis of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Your nasopharynx is in the upper part of your pharynx behind your nose. It provides a passageway for air to travel from your nose to your throat and then to your lungs. According to the Mayo Clinic, nasopharyngeal carcinoma within the U.S. is rare. It is more common in Asia and Africa. Factors such as the Epstein-Barr virus can increase the development of this type of cancer. Diagnosing the disease can be difficult, since symptoms mimic other medical conditions, such as ear infections and head congestion.

  1. Screening

    • In areas where nasopharyngeal carcinoma is common, screenings for the disease is a necessity for high risk individuals in the diagnosis for the condition. Blood tests may be needed to screen for the possibility of the Epstein-Barr virus. If you have the virus, the levels of the virus will also be determined. Your nasopharynx may also be examined with an endoscope, which is a small flexible tube with a camera, to check for any signs of tumors or lesions.

    Diagnostic Tests

    • Your physician will conduct a physical examination of your throat to check for signs of lumps or masses. Lumps and masses form within your neck when the cancer is beginning to spread to your lymph nodes, As a result, the lymph nodes become larger due to the spreading of the cancer. Normally your lymph nodes are the size of a small bean. With the growth of nasopharyngeal cancer, your lymph nodes can become the size of golf balls.

    Biopsy

    • When initial testing may point to signs of nasopharyngeal cancer, according to the American Cancer Society, a diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma is confirmed when signs of cancer cells are detected in your biopsy tissue. During a biopsy, if a growth is detected with an endoscope, a small sample of the abnormality is extracted from your nasopharynx. The tissue will then be examined by a pathologist. A regular biopsy may not be able to detect any signs of cancer.

    FNA Biopsy

    • A fine needle aspiration biopsy uses a very thin, hollow needle to extract fluid from a mass on your neck. The procedure only takes a few seconds to obtain fluid, in the hopes of extracting a few cells within the fluid. The fluid can then be examined under a microscope to check for signs of malignant cancer cells. According to the American Cancer Society, a FNA biopsy may determine if a lump on your neck is caused by an infection, if the cancer spread from somewhere else, or if the cancer developed within your lymph nodes.

    Staging

    • After testing has been completed and a diagnosis has been confirmed, staging of your cancer will take place. Staging occurs when the cancer cells have been examined under a microscope. Stage 0 is cancer that is found only within the lining of your nasopharynx. Stage I is cancer of the nasopharynx. Stage II is where cancer has spread directly outside of your nasopharynx, such as to the tissues of your throat or tonsils. Stage III means that the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, throat and lymph nodes, nearby bones and lymph nodes, or that the cancer is apparent on both sides of your neck. Stage IV is the worst stage, as the cancer has now spread to your face, skull, bones or other locations of your body.

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