Types of nasopharyngeal cancer
The type of nasopharyngeal cancer means the type of cell the cancer started in. The most common type is squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
Cancers from different types of cells
Several layers of tissue make up the nasopharynx. Each layer contains many different types of cells.
Different types of cancer can develop from each type of cell. Knowing these differences helps doctors decide on the best treatment.
Cancerous and non cancerous tumours
Tumours are groups of abnormal cells that form lumps or growths.
Tumours of the nasopharynx can be:
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non cancerous (benign)
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cancerous (malignant)
Non cancerous nasopharyngeal growths are rare. They are mostly found in children and young adults. There are several types of non cancerous tumours. These include growths of small blood vessels, known as angiofibromas.
There are also benign tumours of the minor salivary glands. Minor salivary glands are found throughout the head and neck, including in the nasopharynx.
Malignant nasopharyngeal tumours are cancers. They include the types mentioned below. In time, they can spread into surrounding tissue and to other parts of the body.
Main types of nasopharyngeal cancer
There are 3 main types of nasopharyngeal cancer. They are:
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keratinising squamous cell carcinoma
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non keratinising squamous cell carcinoma
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basaloid squamous cell carcinoma
Carcinoma is another word for cancer. Squamous cells are the flat skin-like cells that line the inside of your mouth, nose, voice box (larynx) and throat. A keratinising cancer has keratin in the cancer cells. Keratin is the protein that forms your hair and nails.
Basaloid squamous cell cancer is very rare.
Treatment
The treatment you have depends on several things including:
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where exactly the cancer is
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how big the cancer is
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whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body
Other types of nasopharyngeal cancer
There are other types of cancer that can start in the nasopharynx but these are very rare. They are often treated differently to the main types of nasopharyngeal cancer.
Adenocarcinoma and adenoid cystic carcinomas
These cancers can develop in the minor salivary glands within the nasopharynx. But these cancer types are more common in the mouth and nose.
Lymphoma
Lymphomas are cancers that start in the 
or lymph gland tissue such as the . There are many lymph nodes in the neck. Painless swelling of a lymph node is a common symptom of lymphoma.
Treatment for lymphoma is different to treatment for squamous cell nasopharyngeal and head and neck cancers. For information on lymphoma, see our sections on Hodgkin lymphoma or non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Melanoma
Melanoma develops from the pigment producing cells that give the skin its colour. Melanomas of the head and neck can occur anywhere on the skin or inside the nose or mouth (oral cavity). Nasopharyngeal melanoma is rare.
Sarcoma
Soft tissue sarcomas are cancers that develop in the connective and supporting tissues of the body. So soft tissue sarcomas can develop and grow almost anywhere including the nasopharynx but this is rare.
