Chemotherapy is one of main treatments for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) except radiation therapy. Improving and optimizing chemotherapeutic regimen are helpful to improve the therapeutic effects and reduce side effects. At present, concurrent chemoradiotherapy still is the standard treatment for advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Induced chemotherapy has been shown superiority, but the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy needs further study. This paper analyzed the superior and inferior, effect and side effect of all kinds of chemotherapeutic methods or scheme including induced chemotherapy, concurrent chemotherapy, adjuvant chemotherapy and palliative chemotherapy and introduced simply the mechanism and clinical effect of new drugs of anticancer. It was hoped to offer some reference for the selection of chemotherapy for NPC.
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; Carcinoma ; Humans ; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; drug therapy