**5. Conclusion**

Early diagnosis and early therapy is the most effective method to improve the curative effect of NPC. It is necessary to strengthen the population-based screening of NPC in the endemic region and optimize the screening methods to elevate efficiency. Improving the treatment approach is critical as well. With the great progress in staging systems, radiotherapy techniques, and concurrent chemotherapy, the locoregional control and overall survival of NPC patients have improved substantially. Meanwhile, molecular targeted therapy and immunotherapy have gained much interest and are now being introduced to many clinical trials. Although encouraging outcomes are achieved, treatment-related toxicities, residual/recurrent disease, and metastatic disease are still crucial challenges in managing NPC, worthy of further attention and effort.
