Nasopharyngeal carcinoma and therapeutic management: the place of chemotherapy.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) differs from others head and neck cancers by many points. Its incidence remains high in some parts of the globe, in southern China, Southeast Asia and North Africa. In North Africa there are two peaks of age-specific incidence, in young (between 10 and 20 years old) and adult patients (50 years old) [1, 2]. Among the three histological types, the Undifferentiated Carcinoma of Nasopharyngeal Type (UCNT) (WHO type 2 and 3) is the most frequent in endemic areas; however, squamous cell carcinoma (WHO type 1) is more common in Europe and has a worse prognosis [2]. The role of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection in the NPC carcinogenesis is well documented but non-exclusive and environmental factors and genetically determined susceptibility may play a role [1].