title: Staging of nasopharyngeal carcinoma--the past, the present and the future.
abstract: This article reviews the evolution of the International Union Against Cancer/American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. With the increasing availability of newer imaging methods, more sophisticated radiotherapy techniques and rapidly evolving molecular assays, we also examine newer clinical features that might have impact on staging. A new version of the staging system taking into account of some of these factors is also proposed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Hong Kong. Electronic address: ngwt1@ha.org.hk.
authors.forename: Wai Tong
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology, Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Kam Tong
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Yuen
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Kwok Hung
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Au
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Oscar S H
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Clinical Oncology Center, University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, China.
authors.forename: Anne W M
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging
keywords: NPC; Prognosis; Staging; TNM