Malaysia has a fair share amount of NPC patients. Early detection helps in successful treatment. Blood mixed saliva or nasal discharge mixed with blood are early signs. Sound in the ear or tinnitus is also another early sign of NPC. Patients should see an ENT Specialist with this symptoms.
Screening with endoscope, blood test and maybe CT Scan may be useful.

Treatment Options
High-dose radiation therapy with chemotherapy is the primary treatment of nasopharyngeal cancer, both for the primary tumor site and the neck.[1] When feasible, surgery is usually reserved for nodes that fail to regress after radiation therapy or for nodes that reappear following clinical complete response. Radiation therapy dose and field margins are individually tailored to the location and size of the primary tumor and lymph nodes.[2-5] Although most tumors are treated with external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT) exclusively, in some tumors radiation therapy may be boosted with intracavitary or interstitial implants or by the use of stereotactic radiosurgery when clinical expertise is available, and the anatomy is suitable.[6-10] Intensity-modulated radiation therapy may result in a lower incidence of xerostomia and provide a better quality of life than conventional radiation therapy.[11,12][Level of evidence: 1iiC] A review of published clinical results of radical radiation therapy for head and neck cancer suggests a significant loss of local control when the administration of radiation therapy was prolonged; therefore, lengthening of standard treatment schedules should be avoided whenever possible.[13]

Accumulating evidence has demonstrated a high incidence (>30%–40%) of hypothyroidism in patients who have received radiation therapy that delivered EBRT to the entire thyroid gland or to the pituitary gland. Thyroid-function testing of patients should be considered prior to therapy and as part of posttreatment follow-up.[14,15]

“http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/nasopharyngeal/HealthProfessional/page5″>

Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Malaysia is a great destination for medical tourism due to its highly efficient medical staff and modern healthcare facilities as well as its engaging scenery and relaxing beaches. It is fast becoming a competitor for some of the most popular medical tourism destinations, India andThailand.

Hospitals in Malaysia are generally clean and well-equipped with state of the art technology. In many cases, they will exceed Americanexpectations, as some are modeled after high-class hotels to pamper their guests. All private hospitals are required to be approved and licensed by the Ministry of Health and meet very strict standards of quality and performance.

Source: http://medicaltourismguide.org/

Chairman: Dr Kuljit Singh 

Invited Speaker: Dr Charlotte Chiong Philipines

Log on to: www.msohns.com to download the brochure

First ENT allergy meeting conducted in Kuala Lumpur - November 2008.

This program trained ENT doctors on allergic rhinitis/nose allergy with hands on training on skin prick test and blood allergy test.

The next meeting will be at the end of 2009.

An allergy is a reaction of your immune system to something that does not bother most other people. People who have allergies often are sensitive to more than one thing. Substances that often cause reactions are

• Pollen
• Dust mites
• Mold spores
• Pet dander
• Food
• Insect stings
• Medicines

How do you get allergies? Scientists think both genes and the environment have something to do with it. Normally, your immune system fights germs. It is your body’s defense system. In most allergic reactions, however, it is responding to a false alarm.

Allergies can cause a runny nose, sneezing, itching, rashes, swelling or asthma. Symptoms vary. Although allergies can make you feel bad, they usually won’t kill you. However, a severe reaction called anaphylaxis is life-threatening.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Dizziness is a term used to describe everything from feeling faint or lightheaded to feeling weak or unsteady. Dizziness that creates the sense that you or your surroundings are spinning or moving is called vertigo.

As a child, spinning until you were dizzy may have been great fun. But otherwise, finding the room spinning isn’t pleasant at all.

Dizziness is one of the most common reasons adults visit their doctors — right up there with back pain and headaches. Although it may be disabling and incapacitating, dizziness rarely signals a serious, life-threatening condition. Treatment of dizziness depends on the cause and your symptoms, but is usually effective.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dizziness/DS00435

Vertigo is the sudden sensation that you are unsteady or that your surroundings are moving. You may feel like you’re spinning around on a merry-go-round or that your head is spinning inside. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is one of the most common disorders that can cause vertigo.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is characterized by brief episodes of mild to intense dizziness associated with specific changes in the position of your head. It most commonly occurs when you move your head in a certain direction, lie down from an upright position, turn over in bed or sit up in the morning. Moving your head to look up or look down also can bring about symptoms of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. You may also feel out of balance when standing or walking.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vertigo/DS00534

“A common complaint of many individuals with sinus problems is a ‘blocked nose.’ This feeling of blockage can result from sinus infections. In addition, there are a number of things that anatomically block the nose and can lead to sinus problems. Blockage may occur when the lining of the nose swells, or when there is a deformity of the cartilaginous or bony structures that make up the framework of the nose. .”

The procedure is said to be permanent and cost-effective cure for the disease which results in inflamation of the sinus lining leading to blockage in the nose.

“The advantage of this procedure is that it involves faster recovery time and less post-procedure discomfort.

THE HINDU: October 14th, 2008

April 2008 issue of Annals of Otology, Rhinology, & Laryngology concluded balloon sinuplasty(TM) instrumentation is safe and effective. More than 95 percent of the study’s 1,036 patients enjoyed sinus symptom improvement over an average follow-up of 40 weeks and no adverse events were attributable to balloon sinuplasty(TM).