Signs & Symptoms of NPC

Signs & Symptoms of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Because of the obscure anatomical location of nasopharyngeal cancer, patients with NPC may not show any signs or symptoms in the early stages. Therefore, it is difficult to identify and start treatment when NPC is in its most manageable stage.

Over 70% of NPC patients already have late-stage cancer when first diagnosed. Nearly 60% are diagnosed the first time with a neck lump, when cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.

Noticeable symptoms of NPC include one or more of the following:

• A lump in the neck caused by a swollen cancerous lymph node
• Bloody discharge from the nose or the back of the throat
• Nasal congestion on one or both sides of nose
• Hearing loss in one ear
• Frequent ear infections with fluid in the middle ear
• Headaches
• Double vision
• Face and neck pain