This study is designed to determine the photobiological characteristics of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines.The standardized photoacoustic spectra of two human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines(SUNE-1 and CNE-1) were measured respectively using single beam photoacoustic spectroscopy technique.The absorption peak near wavelength of 420 nm appears in their standardized photoacoustic spectra.In the range from 380 nm to 700 nm,the marked difference between SUNE-1 and CNE-1 is found in the photoacoustic spectra absorption characteristics.Optical ahsorption intensity of the two cell lines is:SUNE-1> CNE-1.The results show that human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines SUNE-1 and CNE-1 are different on photobiology.The photoacoustic spectroscopy technique may provide a new way on further research on nasopharyngeal carcinoma.