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</div><section class="hero header-secondary color-sky-blue-bg"> <div class="item"> <div class="grid-container"> <div class="grid-x grid-margin-x"> <div class="cell small-order-2 large-order-1 large-6 vertical-align"> <div class="content color-transparent-bg"> <h1>Nasopharyngeal cancer</h1> <div class="subtitle bold-600 collapse-margin-bottom"><p>What is nasopharyngeal cancer? Find out how common it is, the causes, and expert advice on how to reduce your risk.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="cell small-order-1 large-order-2 large-6">  <div class="media"> <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="675" height="450" src="https://www.wcrf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Cancer-types-NASOPHARYNGEAL.png" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="Nasopharynx" srcset="https://www.wcrf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Cancer-types-NASOPHARYNGEAL.png 675w, https://www.wcrf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Cancer-types-NASOPHARYNGEAL-300x200.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 675px) 100vw, 675px" /> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="grid-container"> <div class="grid-x grid-margin-x"> <div class="cell"> <div class="quick-links rounded-s overflow-hidden spacing-m spacing-m-left spacing-m-right"> <h2 class="quick-links-heading">On this page</h2> <ul class="quick-links-list"></ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="copy copy-text"> <div class="grid-container"> <div class="grid-x"> <div class="cell large-8"> <h2>What is nasopharyngeal cancer?</h2> <p>The nasopharynx connects the back of your nose to the back of your throat. It allows you to breathe through your nose and swallow mucus produced by the lining of your nose.</p> <p>Nasopharyngeal cancer is a type of head and neck cancer – visit our <a href="/preventing-cancer/cancer-types/head-and-neck-cancer/">head and neck cancer</a> page for information on cancers of the mouth, pharynx and larynx.</p> <h2>How common is nasopharyngeal cancer?</h2> <p>Nasopharyngeal cancer is very rare in the UK but it is more common in some racial and ethnic groups, for example people of Chinese origin. We have strong evidence that certain types of salted fish, some of which are more common in Chinese diets, are a cause of nasopharyngeal cancer.</p> <p>Nasopharyngeal cancer is the 22nd most common cancer in the UK (2021 data), and the 23rd most common in the world (2022 data).</p> <h3>Men</h3> <p>Nasopharyngeal cancer is the 19th most common cancer in men in the UK, and the 19th most common in men globally.</p> <h3>Women</h3> <p>Nasopharyngeal cancer is the 21st most common cancer in women in the UK, and the 22nd most common in women globally.</p> <div class="spacing-xs-top"> <a class="button " href="/preventing-cancer/cancer-statistics/nasopharyngeal-cancer-statistics/" aria-label="Find the latest nasopharyngeal cancer statistics" target="" > Find the latest nasopharyngeal cancer statistics </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="copy copy-table spacing-collapse"> <div class="grid-container"> <div class="grid-x"> <div class="cell large-8"> <table class="stack"> <thead> <tr> <th>Region</th> <th>Cases</th> <th>Year</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>UK</td> <td>232</td> <td>2021</td> </tr> <tr> <td>World</td> <td>120,434</td> <td>2022</td> </tr> </tbody> <caption>Sources: UK cancer statistics based on combined data from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. World Cancer Research Fund, 2024. International cancer statistics from Globocan.</caption> </table> </div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="copy copy-text spacing-collapse"> <div class="grid-container"> <div class="grid-x"> <div class="cell large-8"> <h2>What are the symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer?</h2> <p>Many people with nasopharyngeal cancer don’t have any symptoms until the cancer advances.</p> <p>Find more information on nasopharyngeal cancer symptoms on the <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/nasopharyngeal-cancer/">NHS website</a>.</p> </div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="copy copy-50-50 has-header color-apple-75-bg"> <div class="header color-apple-75-bg"> <div class="grid-container"> <div class="grid-x relative "> <div class="cell "> <h2>What causes nasopharyngeal cancer? </h2><p>There are many different things that affect your risk of nasopharyngeal cancer.</p> <p>Evidence for what can cause nasopharyngeal cancer comes from large population studies (called epidemiology) and biological studies (where scientists look at cells in a laboratory).</p> <p>If the risk factors below affect you, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you will develop nasopharyngeal cancer.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="grid-container paragraphs"> <div class="grid-x color-white-bg has-bg"> <div class="cell medium-5"> <h3><span class="EOP SCXW161200002 BCX8"><span class="EOP SCXW58936161 BCX8"><span class="EOP SCXW104138256 BCX8"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW223112548 BCX8"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW223112548 BCX8">S</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW223112548 BCX8">alted fish</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW223112548 BCX8"> </span> </span> </span> </span></h3> </div> <div class="cell medium-7"> <p><span>Eating Cantonese-style salted fish is a cause of nasopharyngeal cancer.</span><span> </span></p> <p><span>This means that people who eat a south-east Asian diet are at a higher risk of nasopharyngeal cancer.</span><span> </span></p> </div> </div> <div class="grid-x color-white-bg has-bg"> <div class="cell medium-5"> <h3><span class="EOP SCXW92730854 BCX8"><span class="EOP SCXW241122725 BCX8"><span class="TextRun SCXW201985039 BCX8"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW201985039 BCX8">Smoking</span></span> </span> </span></h3> </div> <div class="cell medium-7"> <p><span class="TextRun SCXW265429078 BCX8"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW265429078 BCX8"><a href="/preventing-cancer/topics/smoking-and-cancer/">Smoking</a> tobacco is a cause of nasopharyngeal cancer. About 23% of cases are caused by smoking.</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW265429078 BCX8"> </span></p> </div> </div> <div class="grid-x color-white-bg has-bg"> <div class="cell medium-5"> <h3><span class="EOP SCXW11350736 BCX8"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW67191357 BCX8"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW67191357 BCX8">Epstein-Barr virus</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW67191357 BCX8"> </span><br /> </span></h3> </div> <div class="cell medium-7"> <p><span class="TextRun SCXW15274936 BCX8"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW15274936 BCX8">Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is a cause of nasopharyngeal cancer. However, only a fraction of people infected with EBV develop nasopharyngeal cancer.</span></span></p> </div> </div> <div class="grid-x color-white-bg has-bg"> <div class="cell medium-5"> <h3><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW188094368 BCX8"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW188094368 BCX8">Occupational exposure</span></span></h3> </div> <div class="cell medium-7"> <p><span class="TextRun SCXW94423822 BCX8"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW94423822 BCX8">Occupational exposure to wood dust and formaldehyde is a cause of nasopharyngeal cancer.</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW94423822 BCX8"> </span></p> </div> </div> <div class="grid-x color-white-bg has-bg"> <div class="cell medium-5"> <h3><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW188094368 BCX8"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW188094368 BCX8"><span class="EOP SCXW35171240 BCX8"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW10859167 BCX8"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW10859167 BCX8">Gender</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW10859167 BCX8"> </span> </span></span></span></h3> </div> <div class="cell medium-7"> <p><span class="TextRun SCXW5726199 BCX8"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW5726199 BCX8">Men are more likely to develop </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW5726199 BCX8">nasopharyngeal</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW5726199 BCX8"> cancer than </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW5726199 BCX8">women.</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW5726199 BCX8"> This is likely because of smoking and exposure to other risk factors rather than gender in and of itself.</span></p> </div> </div> <div class="grid-x color-white-bg has-bg"> <div class="cell medium-5"> <h3><span class="EOP SCXW266967218 BCX8"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW259809886 BCX8"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW259809886 BCX8">Age</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW259809886 BCX8"> </span><br /> </span></h3> </div> <div class="cell medium-7"> <p><span class="TextRun SCXW218591076 BCX8"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW218591076 BCX8">Older people are more at risk of developing </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW218591076 BCX8">nasopharyngeal </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW218591076 BCX8">cancer.</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW218591076 BCX8"> </span></p> </div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="copy copy-text spacing-collapse-bottom"> <div class="grid-container"> <div class="grid-x"> <div class="cell large-8"> <h3>Other risk factors</h3> <p>Our Expert Panel of scientists has also looked at other things that may be linked with the risk of nasopharyngeal cancer. The evidence for the risk factors listed below is limited, and we do not recommend that you change your behaviour only on the basis of these risk factors. There is some evidence that:</p> <ul> <li>red meat may increase the risk of nasopharyngeal cancer.</li> <li>processed meat may increase the risk of nasopharyngeal cancer.</li> <li>preserved non-starchy vegetables may increase the risk of nasopharyngeal cancer.</li> <li>eating more non-starchy vegetables may decrease the risk of nasopharyngeal cancer.</li> </ul> <p>For scientists: full references, pathogenesis and a summary of the mechanisms underpinning our findings on how to prevent nasopharyngeal cancer can be found in our <a href="/research-policy/science-policy-library/">2018 Diet and Cancer Report</a>.</p> </div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="copy copy-list spacing-collapse-top"> <div class="grid-container"> <div class="grid-x"> <div class="cell"> <div class="content color-corn-75-bg has-bg"> <h2>Reduce your risk of nasopharyngeal cancer</h2> <p>Following our <a href="/preventing-cancer/cancer-prevention/our-cancer-prevention-recommendations/">Cancer Prevention Recommendations</a> reduces your risk of nasopharyngeal cancer. If you have been diagnosed with cancer, following our Recommendations can reduce the risk of cancer returning.</p> <h3>Don’t smoke</h3> <p>You can reduce your risk of nasopharyngeal cancer by not smoking. If you do smoke, giving up smoking will reduce your risk.</p> <p>In the UK, the NHS stop smoking service can help you quit.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="links links-50-50 spacing-collapse color-apple-bg"> <div class="grid-container"> <div class="grid-wrap"> <div class="grid-x align-center align-middle last_item"> <div class="cell medium large-6 large-order-1"> <div class="media-spacer"> <div class="media media-relative ratio-7-5"> <img decoding="async" width="675" height="450" src="https://www.wcrf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/CP-Recs1311818938r-675.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large" alt="A young woman outside carrying a paper bag filled with fruit and veg" srcset="https://www.wcrf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/CP-Recs1311818938r-675.jpg 675w, https://www.wcrf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/CP-Recs1311818938r-675-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 675px) 100vw, 675px" /> </div> </div> </div> <div class="cell medium large-6 large-order-2"> <div class="content"> <h3>Cancer Prevention Recommendations</h3><div class="subtitle "><p>Proven ways to reduce your risk of cancer</p> </div><a href="/preventing-cancer/cancer-prevention/our-cancer-prevention-recommendations/" class="button primary">Our Recommendations</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="cards-text cards spacing-collapse-bottom has-header"> <div class="header spacing-collapse-bottom"> <div class="grid-container"> <div class="grid-x relative "> <div class="cell "> <h2>Nasopharyngeal cancer survival</h2><p>Our <a href="/living-well/living-with-cancer/">Living with cancer</a> section can help if you are living with nasopharyngeal cancer.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="grid-container"> <div class="grid-x grid-margin-x grid-margin-y align-center"> <div class="cell medium-6 large-4 repeater-item"> <a href="/living-well/living-with-cancer/cancer-and-nutrition-helpline/" class="pseudo-link">Here to help</a> <div class="card color-sky-blue-75-bg"> <div class="content fixed-button"> <h3 class="h3">Cancer and Nutrition Helpline</h3> <div class="button-group"><a href="/living-well/living-with-cancer/cancer-and-nutrition-helpline/" class="button secondary">Here to help</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="cell medium-6 large-4 repeater-item"> <a href="/living-well/living-with-cancer/your-questions-answered/" class="pseudo-link">Your questions answered</a> <div class="card color-sky-blue-75-bg"> <div class="content fixed-button"> <h3 class="h3">FAQs about cancer</h3> <div class="button-group"><a href="/living-well/living-with-cancer/your-questions-answered/" class="button secondary">Your questions answered</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="cell medium-6 large-4 repeater-item"> <a href="/living-well/living-with-cancer/cook-through-cancer/" class="pseudo-link">Sign up for a class</a> <div class="card color-sky-blue-75-bg"> <div class="content fixed-button"> <h3 class="h3">Cook Through Cancer</h3> <div class="button-group"><a href="/living-well/living-with-cancer/cook-through-cancer/" class="button secondary">Sign up for a class</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="related-posts has-header"> <div class="header"> <div class="grid-container"> <div class="grid-x relative "> <div class="cell "> <h2>Our latest research on nasopharyngeal cancer</h2><p>We fund research on nasopharyngeal cancer through our grant programmes. Read about the latest findings and ongoing projects in our <a href="/research-policy/our-research/grants-database/">database of projects</a>.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="search-panel" id="search-results-10" data-anchor> <div class="search-form-container"> <form role="search" method="get" class="search-form" id="search-form-10" action="/nasopharyngeal-cancer#search-form-10"> <div class="grid-container"> <div class="grid-x"> <div class="cell"> <div class="search-bar"> <input type="hidden" name="order_by" id="order_by10" value="rand"> <input type="hidden" name="order" id="order10" value="asc"> <input type="hidden" name="posts_per_page" id="posts_per_page10" value="3"> <input type="hidden" name="filter" id="filter10" value=""> <input type="hidden" name="cats" id="cats10" value="438"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </form> </div> </div> <div class="cards cards-full has-header search-results search-results-main" id="search-results-main-10" data-start-page="1" 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