Radiation therapy is the most common treatment for cancer of the nasopharynx. External radiation to the thyroid or the pituitary gland may change the way the thyroid gland works. A doctor may wish to test the thyroid gland before and after therapy to make sure it is working properly. Surgery is sometimes used for cancer of the nasopharynx that does not respond to radiation.
Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells.
Chemotherapy may be taken by pill, or it may be put into the body by a needle in the vein or muscle. Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drug enters the bloodstream, travels through the body, and can kill cancer cells throughout the body. Biological therapy tries to get the body to fight cancer. It uses materials made by the body or made in a laboratory to boost, direct, or restore the body's natural defenses against disease. Because the nasopharynx helps in breathing and is close to the face, a patient may need special help adjusting to the side effects of the cancer and its treatment.