What are the differences in symptoms between nasopharyngitis and nasopharyngeal cancer?

    Under normal circumstances, the differences in symptoms between nasopharyngitis and nasopharyngeal cancer generally include disease duration, characteristics of blood-streaked nasal discharge, pain presentation, nature of neck masses, and systemic symptoms. Detailed analysis is as follows:

    1. Disease Duration: Nasopharyngitis is often acute or chronic with recurrent episodes, characterized by a shorter disease course or obvious periods of remission, during which symptoms can be alleviated or disappear after treatment. Nasopharyngeal cancer has a longer disease course, with symptoms progressively worsening, persisting, and being difficult to relieve, showing little improvement even after treatment.

    2. Characteristics of Blood-Streaked Nasal Discharge: Blood-streaked nasal discharge in nasopharyngitis is often due to mucosal congestion and rupture, with small amounts of blood typically appearing when blowing the nose, frequently accompanied by inflammatory symptoms such as nasal congestion and runny nose. In nasopharyngeal cancer, blood in nasal discharge is often noticed during nasal mucus retraction, more evident upon waking in the morning, gradually increasing in amount, recurring frequently, and possibly occurring without significant inflammatory symptoms.

    3. Pain Presentation: Nasopharyngitis pain is often described as dryness, heat sensation, or dull pain in the nasopharyngeal area, with pain relief following inflammation subsidence. Nasopharyngeal cancer often presents as unilateral headaches that are persistent or progressively worsening, potentially radiating to the ear, with poor response to medication.

    4. Nature of Neck Masses: Nasopharyngitis may occasionally present with cervical lymph node enlargement, which is soft in texture and tender, shrinking as the inflammation improves. Nasopharyngeal cancer-related neck masses are often painless, hard in texture, poorly mobile, progressively enlarging, coalescing into a mass, and show no significant improvement with anti-inflammatory treatment.

    5. Systemic Symptoms: Nasopharyngitis has mild systemic symptoms, possibly including low-grade fever and fatigue, with rapid recovery once the inflammation is controlled. Advanced nasopharyngeal cancer may present with cachexia symptoms such as weight loss, decreased appetite, and anemia, and may also exhibit symptoms related to distant metastases.

    When experiencing discomfort in the nasopharyngeal region, if symptoms persist without improvement or worsen, timely medical consultation and examinations such as nasopharyngoscopy should be sought to establish a clear diagnosis before initiating targeted treatment, avoiding self-diagnosis and potential delay in disease management.