Abstract

Squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx is responsible for 0.7% of all malignant tumors worldwide, with the highest incidence in the population of southern China and Southeast Asia. The standard treatment for locally advanced disease consists of a combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in different schedules. Among them, induction chemotherapy followed by concomitant radio-chemotherapy has shown in recent years to be a standard therapeutic option with high rates of locoregional control and overall survival. This paper aims to review the current evidence related to treatment with induction chemotherapy and subsequent radio-chemotherapy in nasopharyngeal cancer, its effectiveness, and the technical aspects of its applicability.