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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · J Neurol Surg Rep 2023; 84(03): e113-e115
DOI: 10.1055/a-2148-2429
Skull Base Oncology Case Series

Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Case Presentation and Literature Review of Treatment Innovation with Immunotherapy

Somtochi Okafor 
1   Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Communication Sciences, Duke University Hospital, Durham, North Carolina, United States
,
Jameel Muzaffar
2   Department of Medicine, Medical Oncology, Duke University Hospital, Durham, North Carolina, United States
,
David Jang
1   Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Communication Sciences, Duke University Hospital, Durham, North Carolina, United States
,
Ivan El Sayed
3   Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States
,
Ralph Abi Hachem
1   Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Communication Sciences, Duke University Hospital, Durham, North Carolina, United States
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Abstract

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), a rare head and neck malignancy, arises from the epithelial lining of nasopharyngeal mucosa. The confluence of various risk factors, such as latent Epstein–Barr virus infection, genetic susceptibility, smoking, alcohol consumption, and high nitrosamine diet, is thought to contribute to NPC pathogenesis. Radiation therapy serves as the mainstay of treatment for early stage while concurrent chemotherapy and radiation are the basis of treatment for locoregional advanced disease with overall 80% five-year survival rate. Recurrent or metastatic disease pose treatment challenges as reirradiation, repeat cycles of chemotherapy, and surgery follow with high likelihood of treatment toxicity or postoperative morbidities. Typically reserved for nonresectable recurrent or metastatic disease, immunotherapy serves as novel treatment for NPC. NPC tumor microenvironment predominated by a dense infiltrate of immune cells hosts an ideal target for immunotherapy. Several clinical trials have investigated the efficacy of anti-programmed cell death protein 1 antibodies such as pembrolizumab, nivolumab, and camrelizumab with promising results. Treatment of recurrent and metastatic NPC remains a challenge; however, the advent of immunotherapy has provided additional options and potential for preventative and therapeutic measures.

Keywords

nasopharyngeal carcinoma - immunotherapy - nasopharynx - head and neck cancer - EBV - immune checkpoint inhibitors - recurrent disease - adoptive cell therapy


Publication History

Received: 12 July 2023

Accepted: 01 August 2023

Accepted Manuscript online:
03 August 2023

Article published online:
03 October 2023

© 2023. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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