Negative plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA nasopharyngeal carcinoma in an endemic region and its influence on liquid biopsy screening programmes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in endemic regions may have undetectable plasma EBV DNA.

Methods

We prospectively recruited 518 patients with non-metastatic NPC and measured their pre-treatment plasma EBV DNA. The stage distribution and prognosis between pre-treatment plasma EBV DNA-negative (0-20 copies/ml) and EBV DNA-positive (>20 copies/ml) patients following radical treatment were compared.

Results

Seventy-eight patients (15.1%) were plasma EBV DNA-negative, and 62 in this subset (12.0%) had 0 copy/ml. Only 23/78 (29.5%) plasma EBV DNA-negative patients with advanced NPC (stage III-IVA) had strong EBV encoded RNA (EBER) positivity (score 3) in their tumours compared to 342/440 (77.7%) EBV DNA-positive patients of the

SUBMITTER: Nicholls JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6888810 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature