Hong Kong scientists on Thursday announced a new discovery that could enable early and more precise detection of nasopharyngeal cancer, of which there is a high incidence of cases in the city and in the southern part of the country.
The recent study, conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)’s Faculty of Medicine, showed that those with Epstein-Barr virus DNA, with certain molecular features, were 87 times more likely to develop the cancer within four years, compared to those without EBV DNA in their plasma.
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Using these findings, the research team was successfully able to identify 34 nasopharyngeal cancer patients, with around 70 percent of them still at stage one or two, after conducting plasma EBV DNA testing on over 20,000 middle-aged men with no nasopharyngeal cancer symptoms between 2013 and 2016.
Following up with the same participants three to five years later for a second round of nasopharyngeal cancer screening, the team effectively identified 24 new cases.
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Nearly all nasopharyngeal cancer cases are associated with an EBV infection. However, EBV infections are common — with over 90 percent of the population having been infected at some point — making it difficult to detect the cancer through the conventional polymerase chain reaction, said Jacky Lam Wai-kei, assistant dean at CUHK's Faculty of Medicine.
While EBV infections are common, not all infected individuals have or will develop nasopharyngeal cancer, Lam added.
The new findings make it easier to flag the presence of, or the risks of developing, the cancer as it differs significantly from non-cancer related EBV carriers.
Lam said the initial screening phase involves analyzing EBV DNA in plasma to diagnose nasopharyngeal cancer before symptoms arise, leading to early detection.
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Lam added that early detection could spare patients from having to undergo chemotherapy, which can have severe side-effects, and could improve survival rates.
Allen Chan Kwan-chee, chairman and professor in the Department of Chemical Pathology at the medicine faculty, said that the new screening strategy — based on the findings of the study — enables precise risk stratification with an accuracy rate of 97 percent, facilitating more in-depth cancer monitoring for high-risk populations.
The research was published in the international medical journal, Cancer Cell.
