Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a cancer originating in the nasopharynx, the uppermost region of the pharynx or "throat", where the nasal passages an auditory tubes join the remainder of the upper respiratory tract. NPC differs significantly from other cancers of the head and neck in its occurrence, causes, clinical behavior, and treatment. It is vastly more common in certain regions of East Asia and Africa than elsewhere, with viral, dietary, and genetic factors implicated in its causation.