Nasopharyngeal cancer and the Southeast Asian patient

Because of a documented increased incidence, nasopharyngeal cancer should be considered when signs or symptoms of ear, nose and throat disease are present in patients from southern China (in particular, Hong Kong and the province of Guangdong) or Southeast Asia. Environmental factors, the Epstein-Barr virus and genetic factors have been associated with the development of nasopharyngeal cancer. Patients with this malignancy most often present with a cervical mass from metastatic spread to a lymph node. Other possible presentations include ipsilateral serous otitis, hearing loss, nasal obstruction, frank epistaxis, purulent or bloody rhinorrhea, and facial neuropathy or facial nerve palsies. Radiotherapy is often curative. The addition of chemotherapy has produced high response rates in local and regionally advanced disease.