Mechanism and research situation of immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant tumor closely related to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, which is highly cryptic and invasive. The treatment usually rely on a combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Although their cure rate is high, it still have challenges of recurrence and metastasis due to the immune escape by tumor cells. Now, with the in-depth exploration of the tumor microenvironment (TME), it is found that the combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy can improve the survival rate and quality of life of patients with recurrent, metastatic and locally advanced disease. Therefore, it is important to conduct in-depth research on the TME of NPC, especially the infiltration degree of immune cells and their immune escape mechanism. Analyzing the effects of immunotherapy and chemotherapy on the NPC tumor microenvironment and combining the latest progress in existing clinical trials will help to understand the biological characteristics of NPC, thereby optimizing treatment options and improving overall efficacy.