Nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients should have regular follow-up examinations after radiotherapy

At present, comprehensive treatment with radiotherapy as the main method is the most effective treatment for NPC. However, a small number of patients still experience local recurrence after treatment, which is one of the main reasons for the failure of NPC treatment. For locally recurrent NPC, if it can be detected early, there is a chance to choose some highly effective and low-toxic methods for treatment, so that the tumor can be more effectively controlled and the quality of life can be improved. Regular follow-up after treatment is the key to early detection of NPC recurrence.

The vast majority of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients experience recurrence within 5 years after treatment, of which the number of cases that recur within 3 years after treatment accounts for about 65% of all cases. Although there are not many patients who relapse within 1 year after treatment, the cancer cells of these patients resist radiotherapy. If these patients are treated with radiotherapy again, the treatment effect will be poor. And because the interval between two radiotherapy treatments is short, the incidence of radiotherapy sequelae will also increase significantly, and the severity of sequelae will increase significantly, greatly reducing the patient's quality of life. Therefore, nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients must pay attention to the regular review after treatment.

According to the requirements of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma diagnosis and treatment standards, patients should be reexamined every 3 months in the first 3 years after treatment; every 6 months in the 4th and 5th years after treatment; and once a year after 5 years of treatment. If any abnormality is found, patients should return to the hospital for examination immediately.