Can rhinitis turn into nasopharyngeal cancer?
Oncologists say: No
Rhinitis is a common disease in otolaryngology, mainly manifested as runny nose, nasal congestion, headache and sneezing, mostly triggered by cold. Director Qin Jianwu introduced that normally speaking, rhinitis will not deteriorate and is not a precancerous disease or pre-cancerous lesion. So far, there is no research in the medical field that rhinitis can lead to nasopharyngeal cancer.
Some patients often treat rhinitis as rhinitis when they have symptoms such as nasal congestion and headache, and only find out that it is nasopharyngeal cancer when they have swollen lymph nodes in the neck and go to hospital.
Qin Jianwu, director of the Department of Thyroid Head and Neck Surgery of Henan Cancer Hospital, reminds us that we should not ignore symptoms such as nasal congestion, bloody snot and neck lumps, and once found, we should go to hospital for comprehensive examination to exclude the possibility of nasopharyngeal cancer.
Blood in the nose, stuffy nose, tinnitus, these symptoms should be alerted to nasopharyngeal cancer
Zhang Songtao, deputy director of thyroid head and neck surgery department of Henan Cancer Hospital, introduces that if any of the following symptoms occurs, it is better to go to ENT department or oncology department of the hospital in time to rule out the possibility of nasopharyngeal cancer.
- Retractable aspiration blood
Snotty blood is an early symptom of nasopharyngeal cancer, which is manifested as blood in nasal mucus or aspiration of nasal mucus with blood from the mouth. When the amount of snot and blood is small, it is often neglected by patients and mistaken for rhinitis or sinusitis, or treated as hemoptysis and referred to internal medicine.
2、Nasal congestion and non-ventilation
Nasal congestion is another early manifestation of nasopharyngeal cancer. Most of them are unilateral nasal congestion. When the nasopharyngeal tumor increases in size, bilateral nasal congestion may appear.
3、Tinnitus and hearing loss
Tinnitus, stuffy ear and hearing loss are caused by nasopharyngeal cancer neoplasm blocking the opening of the affected eustachian tube, and may also be caused by nasopharyngeal tumor invading the nerves at the base of the skull, which may be misdiagnosed as otitis media or other diseases, thus delaying the treatment.
4、Headache
About half of the patients with nasopharyngeal cancer have headache at the first diagnosis. The headache symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma often manifest as migraine, pain at the top of the skull, behind the occiput or in the neck. Most of the headaches in nasopharyngeal cancer are related to the invasion of cancer tissue into the bone, nerves and blood vessels at the skull base.
Enlarged lymph nodes in the neck
Many patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma often seek medical treatment because they unintentionally touch a “lump” on their neck, which is actually an enlarged lymph node, but is often misdiagnosed as inflammation. For neck lumps that do not shrink with anti-inflammatory treatment or even continue to increase in size, prompt medical consultation is needed. The most direct examination for nasopharyngeal cancer is nasopharyngoscopy, which is safe, easy to perform and highly reliable. If suspicious masses are found under the scope, pathological biopsy should be performed; later, auxiliary examinations such as EBV test, MRI, CT examination and neck ultrasound can be added.
5 life habits to keep away from the threat of nasopharyngeal tumor
Wu Hui, deputy director of radiotherapy department of Henan Cancer Hospital, introduced that nasopharyngeal cancer is a malignant tumor occurring in the mucosal epithelium of nasopharynx, with higher incidence in southern China and less in northern China, and higher incidence in men than women. The occurrence of nasopharyngeal cancer is mainly related to EBV infection, genetic and environmental factors. Meanwhile, bad habits such as heavy smoking and long-term consumption of pickled foods (such as salted fish, cured meat and preserved meat) can also increase the risk of developing nasopharyngeal cancer. The occurrence of nasopharyngeal cancer has little to do with rhinitis. However, under the stimulation of long-term inflammation, chronic sinusitis has a small probability of carcinogenesis and sinus cancer, among which maxillary sinus cancer is more common.
Wu Hui reminded that the prevention of nasopharyngeal tumor should pay attention to the following points.
1, pay attention to climate change, prevent colds, maintain nose and throat hygiene, and avoid viral infections.
2, try to avoid harmful smoke inhalation, such as kerosene lamp gas, insecticide aerosol, etc., and actively quit smoking and alcohol.
3, nasopharyngeal diseases should be treated as early as possible, such as the discovery of bloody nasal mucus or blood in the mouth after nasal aspiration, as well as unexplained enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, middle ear effusion, etc. should be timely detailed nasopharyngeal examination.
4, maintain a balanced diet, eat more vegetables and fruits and foods with high vitamin content, and consume less smoked, baked and pickled products.
5、Maintain an optimistic state of mind and take part in physical exercise appropriately, which can enhance your ability to resist diseases.
Treatment of nasopharyngeal cancer can be cured without surgery and radiation therapy
The human pharyngeal cavity has the functions of swallowing, breathing, protection and defense, as well as resonance and auxiliary articulation. The pharyngeal cavity is divided into three parts: nasopharynx, oropharynx and laryngopharynx.
Wu Hui introduced that the nasopharyngeal cavity is behind the nasal cavity, above the hard palate and below the skull base, closely connected with the skull base bone and adjacent to many important blood vessels, nerves and lymphatic tissues, which makes the surgical treatment of nasopharyngeal cancer difficult and it is difficult to remove the tumor completely.
Radiotherapy is a common means of treating malignant tumors by radiation, and nasopharyngeal cancer is very sensitive to radiotherapy, which is the preferred radical treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer.
Research data shows that the 5-year survival rate of early-stage nasopharyngeal cancer can reach 80%-90% after radiotherapy alone, which is equivalent to a cure; while for mid- to late-stage nasopharyngeal cancer, a comprehensive treatment mode of radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy is usually required, which can also achieve better results.
With the addition of chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and other integrated treatment modalities, the overall efficacy of nasopharyngeal cancer, especially in terms of local control rate, has been greatly improved.
