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Pang et al. Mini-invasive Surg 2024;8:27 Mini-invasive Surgery
DOI: 10.20517/2574-1225.2023.124

Review Open Access

Surgical treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Feng Pang 1,2,3 , Yu Guo 1,2,3 , Tian-Run Liu 1,2,3
1
Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou
510655, Guangdong, China.
2
Department of Thyroid Center/Thyroid Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510655,
Guangdong, China.
3
Biomedical Innovation Center, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510655, Guangdong, China.
Correspondence to: Dr. Tian-Run Liu, Department of Thyroid Center/Thyroid Surgery, Otorinolaryngology Head and Neck
Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 26 Yuancun Erheng Road, Guangzhou 510655, Guangdong,
China. E-mail: liutrun@mail.sysu.edu.cn

How to cite this article: Pang F, Guo Y, Liu TR. Surgical treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Mini-invasive Surg 2024;8:27.
https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2574-1225.2023.124

Received: 1 Nov 2023 First Decision: 19 Sep 2024 Revised: 13 Oct 2024 Accepted: 24 Oct 2024 Published: 7 Nov 2024
Academic Editor: Giulio Belli Copy Editor: Pei-Yun Wang Production Editor: Pei-Yun Wang

Abstract
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a relatively rare cancer, primarily prevalent in China and other parts of Asia.
Radiotherapy is the preferred treatment for primary NPC and has proven to be highly effective. However,
approximately 10% of patients experience recurrence after treatment. Surgical intervention serves as a key
treatment option for locally recurrent NPC and selected primary cases, aiming to completely remove the tumor
while preserving normal tissues and functions as much as possible. This review provides a comprehensive overview
of surgical treatment options for NPC discussing the advantages, disadvantages, appropriate indications, and
outcomes of various surgical techniques, thus offering guidance for selecting the most suitable treatment
approaches.

Keywords: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma, surgery, nasopharyngectomy

INTRODUCTION
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is defined as malignant neoplasms situated in the nasopharynx. The
International Agency for Research on Cancer reports that the global incidence of nasopharyngeal cancer is
[1]
relatively low, with approximately four cases per million people . Nevertheless, there is significant
geographical variance, with East and Southeast Asia accounting for over 70% of new diagnoses. In China,

© The Author(s) 2024. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
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