What tests are needed for nasopharyngeal carcinoma and how is it diagnosed?

What tests are needed for nasopharyngeal cancer? How is it diagnosed?

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is one of the common malignant tumors in my country. Although it occurs in many countries and regions around the world, the incidence rate in most parts of the world is relatively low, generally below 1/100,000. Common clinical manifestations of nasopharyngeal carcinoma include: bloody nose and epistaxis, nasal congestion, tinnitus and hearing loss, headache, swollen cervical lymph nodes, facial numbness, diplopia, etc.

For nasopharyngeal carcinoma, the following examinations are needed to diagnose whether you have cancer.

1. Indirect nasopharyngeal endoscopy. Indirect nasopharyngeal endoscopy is a simple, fast and effective routine examination method. Patients do not need to make special preparations, and the examination is painless and non-invasive. During the examination, the doctor wears a forehead mirror on his head, holds a tongue depressor in his left hand, presses down the front 2/3 of the tongue, expands the distance between the pharyngeal arch and the tongue root, and holds a small round mirror with a diameter of 1.5 cm in his right hand. After slightly warming it on an alcohol lamp, it is inserted into the oropharynx to observe the nasopharynx with the help of light reflection. The mirror surface rotates in different directions to observe the conditions of various parts of the nasopharynx. If the patient's pharyngeal reflex is sensitive, the doctor will use 1% to 2% of cocaine to spray the pharynx 1 to 3 times for mucosal surface anesthesia before examination.

2. Imaging examination. CT or MRI examinations are helpful in assisting the diagnosis of NPC, as well as accurate staging, accurate design of radiation field, and estimation of prognosis. CT is better for showing skull base bone destruction, and MRI is more helpful in distinguishing tumors, inflammation, or fibrosis. Abdominal B-ultrasound and whole-body bone ECT examinations are conducive to early detection of possible distant metastases.

3. Electronic endoscopy. Currently, long fiber endoscopes are mostly used in clinical practice. They pass through the nasal cavity or oral cavity and go deep into the enemy's rear. They can be observed and photographed at close range. Patients generally do not need to make special preparations before the examination.