Nasopharyngeal Cancer
Head and Neck Program
Treatment Options by Stage
Stage I Nasopharyngeal Cancer
Treatment of stage I nasopharyngeal
cancer is usually radiation
therapy to the tumor
and lymph nodes in the neck.
Stage II Nasopharyngeal Cancer
Treatment of stage II nasopharyngeal
cancer may include the following:
- Chemotherapy
combined with radiation therapy.
- Radiation therapy to the tumor and lymph nodes in the
neck.
Stage III Nasopharyngeal Cancer
Treatment of stage III nasopharyngeal
cancer may include the following:
- Chemotherapy combined with radiation therapy.
- Radiation therapy to the tumor and lymph nodes in the
neck.
- Radiation therapy followed by surgery to remove
cancer-containing lymph nodes in the
neck that remain or come back after radiation therapy.
- A clinical trial of chemotherapy before, combined with, or
after radiation therapy.
This summary section refers to specific treatments under study in
clinical trials, but it may not mention every new treatment being studied.
Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the
NCI Web site.
Stage IV Nasopharyngeal Cancer
Treatment of stage IV nasopharyngeal
cancer may include the following:
- Chemotherapy combined with radiation therapy.
- Radiation therapy to the tumor and lymph nodes in the
neck.
- Radiation therapy followed by surgery to remove
cancer-containing lymph nodes in the neck that remain or come back after
radiation therapy.
- Chemotherapy for cancer that has metastasized (spread) to other parts of the
body.
- A clinical trial of chemotherapy before, combined with, or
after radiation therapy.
- A clinical trial of new radiation therapy such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy.
This summary section refers to specific treatments under study in
clinical trials, but it may not mention every new treatment being studied.
Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the
NCI Web site.