Nasopharyngeal carcinoma natural history

Possible Complications

 * Airway obstruction
 * Difficulty swallowing
 * Disfigurement of the neck or face
 * Hardening of the skin of the neck
 * Loss of voice and speaking ability
 * Spread of the cancer to other body areas (metastasis)

Prognosis
The five-year survival rate of nonkeratinizing and undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinomas, with appropriate treatment, is about 65% overall. Cure is highly possible, even when disease has spread to the regional lymph nodes. The prognosis of keratinizing NPC is significantly worse, due to its greater resistance to radiation.