Screening of nasopharyngeal cancer in high-risk familial cohort: A practical approach using a screening algorithm

Abstract

In Singapore, nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is among the top 3 cancers afflicting middle-aged males (30–49 years old).1 Unfortunately, patients with early-stage NPC are often asymptomatic, and most patients (approx. 70%) are diagnosed with advanced disease with adversely reduced survival. First-degree relatives of NPC patients have about 4 to 10 times increased risk of developing NPC,2 and strategies for reducing NPC-specific mortality among this high-risk group are feasible. Herein, a working group from the Chapter Board of Otorhinolaryngologists Singapore proposed a screening algorithm for these high-risk individuals of NPC based on existing available evidence.