Nasopharyngeal Cancer

Also known asNPC · Nose Cancer · Cancer of the Nasopharynx · Nasopharynx Cancer · Salted Fish and Cancer · 鼻咽癌 · Kanser Nasofarinks

What it is

Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) starts in the upper part of the throat behind the nose. It is rare in most of the world but common in southern China, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia, including Singapore and Malaysia, particularly in people of Cantonese and Hakka background. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, genetic factors, family history and smoking raise the risk.

How food and lifestyle can help

The best-established dietary risk is Cantonese-style salt-preserved fish, especially when eaten often from early childhood. Eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is linked with lower risk. Not smoking helps.

Foods and nutrients to focus on

1. Fresh vegetables and fruit every day (vegetables and fruits).
2. Fresh fish, poultry, eggs and tofu in place of salted and preserved fish.
3. Fresh rather than preserved and pickled food as a habit for children.

Foods and drinks to limit

1. Salt-preserved fish (such as salted fish in Cantonese cooking), which is classified as a cause of cancer, especially for children.
2. Other heavily salted, pickled and preserved foods (sodium).
3. Smoking and secondhand smoke.

Good to know

1. People with a close relative who has had NPC may be offered EBV blood tests or nose examination; ask an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor.
2. Symptoms are often mistaken for a cold or sinus problem, so persistence matters.
3. Treatment is mainly radiotherapy and chemotherapy; your cancer team will advise on eating during treatment.

When to see a doctor

1. A painless lump in the neck, a blocked nose on one side, nosebleeds, blood-stained phlegm, hearing loss or a feeling of fullness in one ear, or ear infections that keep coming back.
2. Symptoms that last more than three weeks: see a doctor, ideally an ENT specialist.
3. A close relative has had NPC.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have a medical condition or take medicines, check changes to your diet with your doctor or a registered dietitian.

Cancer Research UK — Nasopharyngeal cancer, used for the main facts: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/nasopharyngeal-cancer