Abstract
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a relatively rare tumor in the pediatric population, accounting for less than 1% of all pediatric malignancies. Most prevalent in teenagers than in children under 10 years of age, NPC is also highly related to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). NPC initially presents with nonspecific signs and symptoms such as nasal congestion, epistaxis, and/or headaches in a previously healthy child. Due to its nonspecific presenting signs, NPC is often diagnosed at a loco-regionally advanced stage in the pediatric and adolescent populations. However, it carries a better prognosis in children than in adults, with a 5-year overall survival reportedly close to 90%. NPC is sensitive to chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and concurrent chemoradiotherapy with or without neoadjuvant chemotherapy is considered as the first-line treatment in children, while surgery is only recommended for recurrences or nonresponding cases.
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Richard, C., Sheyn, A. (2022). Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. In: Lakhoo, K., Abdelhafeez, A.H., Abib, S. (eds) Pediatric Surgical Oncology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71113-9_105-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71113-9_105-1
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