Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma- An Update of Treatment and Acute Radiation Induced Reactions in Pakistan

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision) category C11 is a tumor arising from the surface epithelial cells of the nasopharynx. Pakistan is a moderate to high risk region for NPC, with an estimated 752 cases diagnosed annually (Ferlay et al., 2010). Globally, the estimation of new nasopharyngeal cancers (NPC) has been quoted as 84,000 cases diagnosed annually, with an agestandardized rate (ASR) of 1.2 per 100,000 for both sexes (Ferlay et al., 2010). South East Asia is a high risk region for NPC especially southern regions of China, where the malignancy is observed in middle-aged individuals. NPC is also endemic in African children (Richard et al., 2002). The risk factors for NPC apart from Chinese ancestry include Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) exposure, familial clustering, and heavy alcohol intake (Chien et al., 2001; Chen et al., 2009). NPC is not amenable to surgery, due to its anatomical