The nasopharynx is the space situated behind our nose and below the brain. It connects our nose to our windpipe. On its sidewall, a tube connects it to the ear.

Nasopharyngeal cancer usually affects adults from 35 to 55 years of age and is 20 to 30 times more common in Chinese (especially Cantonese) than in other races. It is more frequent in males than in females. If the cancer is detected early, it is curable. In Singapore, it is the 6th most common cancer in men. *

What is nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC)?

Our body is made up of billions of little units called cells. The back of our throat called the nasopharynx is lined by billions of these cells which grow and divide in an orderly manner. 

Normal Cells

Abnormal Cells

Sometimes these cells can lose control of their division to produce a growth called a tumour. Often these growths in the nasopharynx are malignant, that is, they have the ability to spread directly to other areas at the back of the throat. Occasionally these cells can invade the lymph channels and blood stream and spread to lymph glands and other distant organs such as the bones, liver and brain. When the cancer spreads to these organs, they produce symptoms and may cause death eventually.