If nasopharyngeal cancer spreads

Cancer cells can spread from the nasopharynx to other parts of the body. This spread is called metastasis.

Understanding how a type of cancer usually grows and spreads helps your healthcare team plan your treatment and future care. If nasopharyngeal cancer spreads, it can spread to the following:

• lymph nodes in the neck (cervical lymph nodes)
• the pharyngeal wall
• the oropharynx
• the hypopharynx
• the nasal cavity and sinuses
• the base of the skull
• cranial nerves
• the eye
• jaw muscles
• the skull
• the bone
• the lung
• the liver
• the brain (rarely)