Expert consensus on the diagnosis of recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Locoregional recurrenceand distant metastasis are the major reasons for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treatment failure. Nearly 10% of patients suffer locoregional recurrenceafter intensity-modulated radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy. Additionally, 4% to 10% of patients newly diagnosed with NPC and 15% to 30% of patients receiving radical treatment have distant metastasis. Early accurate diagnosis and timely intervention contribute to better therapeutic outcomes of recurrent or metastatic NPC, because salvage therapy based on misdiagnosis may bring severe complications to patients. To date, there are no global guidelines or expert consensus on the diagnosis of recurrent or metastatic NPC.Herein, this expert consensus raisesthe recommendations and suggestions for the diagnosis ofrecurrent or metastatic NPC, providing a reference for clinical practice. Key words: Neoplasms recurrence, nasopharyngeal/diagnosis; Neoplasms metastasis, nasopharyngeal/diagnosis; Consensus