| Nasopharyngeal carcinoma | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Nasopharyngeal cancer, nasopharynx cancer, NPC |
 | |
| Micrograph showing a nasopharyngeal carcinoma positive for Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small RNAs (EBER). | |
| Specialty | Oncology |
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), or nasopharynx cancer, is the most common cancer originating in the nasopharynx, most commonly in the postero-lateral nasopharynx or pharyngeal recess (fossa of Rosenmüller), accounting for 50% of cases. NPC occurs in children and adults. NPC differs significantly from other cancers of the head and neck in its occurrence, causes, clinical behavior, and treatment. It is vastly more common in certain regions of East Asia and Africa than elsewhere, with viral, dietary and genetic factors implicated in its causation.[1] It is most common in males. It is a squamous cell carcinoma of an undifferentiated type. Squamous epithelial cells are a flat type of cell found in the skin and the membranes that line some body cavities. Undifferentiated cells are cells that do not have their mature features or functions.
- ^ Chang, Ellen T.; Adami, Hans-Olov (2006). "The Enigmatic Epidemiology of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma". Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. 15 (10): 1765–1777. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-06-0353. PMID 17035381. S2CID 29670301.