Paiar Fabiola, Di Cataldo Vanessa, Zei Giacomo, Pasquetti Eleonora Monteleone, Cecchini Sara, Meattini Icro, Mangoni Monica, Agresti Benedetta, Iermano Carmine, Bonomo Pierluigi, Biti Giampaolo
Radiotherapy Unit, University of Florence;
Radiotherapy Unit, Casa di Cura S. Chiara, Florence, Italy.
Oncol Rev. 2012 Jan 5;6(1):e1. doi: 10.4081/oncol.2012.e1. eCollection 2012 Mar 5.
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a unique malignant head and neck cancer with clinical, demographic, and geographic features distinct from other head and neck epithelial malignancies. Non-keratinizing, poorly differentiated, and undifferentiated WHO types 2 and 3 is the most common subtypes of NPC. NPC is also characterized by its relatively high sensitivity to radiation, so that in the last decades radiotherapy (RT) has been the cornerstone of treatment. However, in the majority of cases NPC is discovered at locally advanced stage. The results are disappointing when RT alone is offered. The 5-year survival rates have been reported to be about 34-52%. The poor prognosis for advanced NPC led to increasing interests in exploring the use of chemotherapy (CT). NPC has been considered to be not only radiosensitive but also chemo-sensitive and has shown high response rate to various chemotherapeutic agents. Certainly, the treatment strategies for NPC will continue to change and evolve as a better understanding is gained of the molecular and immune mechanisms that drive this disease. We reviewed the current literature focusing on the role of CT and new-targeted agents.
鼻咽癌（NPC）是一种独特的头颈部恶性肿瘤，其临床、人口统计学和地理特征与其他头颈部上皮性恶性肿瘤不同。非角化、低分化和未分化的世界卫生组织2型和3型是鼻咽癌最常见的亚型。鼻咽癌还具有对放疗相对敏感的特点，因此在过去几十年中，放射治疗（RT）一直是治疗的基石。然而，在大多数情况下，鼻咽癌在局部晚期被发现。单独进行放疗时结果令人失望。据报道，5年生存率约为34%-52%。晚期鼻咽癌预后较差，这导致人们对探索化疗（CT）的应用越来越感兴趣。鼻咽癌不仅被认为对放疗敏感，而且对化疗也敏感，并且对各种化疗药物显示出高反应率。当然，随着对驱动这种疾病的分子和免疫机制有了更好的理解，鼻咽癌的治疗策略将继续变化和发展。我们回顾了当前关注化疗和新靶向药物作用的文献。
