Nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a review

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is an umbrella term for a group of malignant epithelial tumors with different etiopathogenesis and a broad range of histopathological appearances. Some types have a dramatically skewed geographical and ethnic distribution and shows virtually 100% association with Epstein Barr virus. The field of other/contributing etiological factors are only partially known and recently a subset of this carcinoma has been linked to transcriptionally active Human Papilloma virus. As with all malignant tumors, the clinical stage of disease is of paramount importance. Despite loco-regionally advanced disease, a large proportion of these patients respond well to radiotherapy, either alone or in combination with chemotherapy and long term sequelae including, but not limited to, development of secondary, radiation-induced malignant tumors is a real clinical problem. This review attempts to provide the practicing pathologist with an overview of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and recent advances in the multifaceted understanding of this group of neoplasms. In addition, some information on prognosis, staging, treatment and treatment related complications in this group of patients is provided.