Ways To Treat Nasopharyngeal Cancer

Surgical Removal

Surgical removal of nasopharyngeal tumors is typically only recommended for very small tumors. This area of the body is difficult to reach, and tumors usually respond well to other treatment methods. As a result, surgical removal is rarely used as the main treatment for this nasopharyngeal cancer. However, surgery is often used to remove nasopharyngeal tumors that have spread to lymph nodes in the neck. In these cases, a neck dissection surgery will be performed. In a partial neck dissection procedure, only lymph nodes closest to the tumor are removed. A modified radical neck dissection is used for more advanced cases and involves removing lymph nodes from one side of the neck. These lymph nodes are located between the jaw and the collarbone. Some nerve and muscle tissue must be removed as well, though the main nerve that supplies the shoulder muscle is left in place. In the most advanced cases of nasopharyngeal cancer, doctors may opt to perform a radical neck dissection. Also called a comprehensive neck dissection, the procedure removes almost all of the lymph nodes from a single side of the neck, and muscles, nerves, and veins are removed too.

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Biologic Drugs

Biologic drugs, also known as targeted therapies, teach the body's immune system to attack cancer cells. These drugs have fewer side effects than chemo, and they can be effective even for patients with advanced stages of cancer who did not improve with other treatments. One of the main types of biologic drugs used in the treatment of nasopharyngeal cancer is cetuximab. This medicine is a monoclonal antibody, a synthetic form of a particular protein found in the human immune system. Cetuximab targets a protein known as epidermal growth factor receptor, which is found in abundance on the surface of nasopharyngeal cancer cells. Other monoclonal antibodies used for this type of cancer include pembrolizumab and nivolumab. Potential side effects of these medications include itching, nausea, rash, fatigue, shortness of breath, decreased appetite, cough, and vitiligo.

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