ABSTRACT
Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most malignant tumors of the upper respiratory tract. Among the Chinese and in some Southeast Asian races, the incidence of this disease is about 10 to 50 times higher than the rest of the mankind. A lump in the neck is the most common symptom of NPC. As many as 62% of the patients attending clinic had this as the presenting symptom and in Godtfredsen's series it was 71%. Clinical diagnosis depends upon good history taking, routine otorhinolaryngological and general examination with special attention to the examination of the nasopharynx, the neck nodes, and the cranial nerves. In NPC, a radiological diagnosis, particularly in very early cases, is rather difficult on routine examination. Prognosis of NPC is mainly related to the stage of the disease at the time of commencement of therapy, however, the histopathological type of NPC and the modality of treatment instituted may to some extent influence the end result.
