Pediatric nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Abstract

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an extremely rare malignancy among pediatric age group. The relative rarity of pediatric NPC makes the diagnosis difficult and associated with late diagnosis and advanced locoregional disease. The clinical presentations of pediatric NPC are usually nonspecific. The children with NPC have excellent survival except those with metastatic disease. The tumor, nodes, metastases (TNM) staging has the most relevant prognostic factor. Unfortunately, NPC tends to be locally advanced at the time of diagnosis in pediatric age group and sometimes associated with distant metastasis. NPC in pediatric age is usually not suspected clinically until the patient in the late stage. The diagnosis of pediatric NPC should prompt and require early treatment. Delayed diagnosis of NPC affects the management and prognosis. The purpose of this review article is to discuss the etiopathology, epidemiology, clinical presentations, diagnosis, current treatment, complications of treatment, and prognosis of pediatric NPC.