%0 Journal Article
%T Role of plasma EBV DNA levels in predicting recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in a western population
%A Daris Ferrari
%A Carla Codec¨¤
%A Cecilia Bertuzzi
%A Francesca Broggio
%A Francesca Crepaldi
%A Andrea Luciani
%A Irene Floriani
%A Mohssen Ansarin
%A Fausto Chiesa
%A Daniela Alterio
%A Paolo Foa
%J BMC Cancer
%D 2012
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1471-2407-12-208
%X We evaluated plasma samples from 36 consecutive patients treated with induction chemotherapy followed by chemoradiation. EBV copy numbers were determined after DNA extraction using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan¨CMeier method.Circulating Epstein-Barr virus DNA levels were measured before treatment, at the end of concomitant chemo- and radiotherapy, and during the follow-up period. Pre-treatment levels significantly correlated with the initial stage and probability of relapse. Their increase was 100% specific and 71.3% sensitive in detecting loco-regional or metastatic recurrence (an overall accuracy of 94.4%). Three-year progression-free and overall survival were respectively 78.2% and 97.1%.The results of this study confirm that patients from a Western country affected by loco-regionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma have high plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA levels at diagnosis. The monitoring of plasma levels is sensitive and highly specific in detecting disease recurrence and metastases.
%K Nasopharyngeal carcinoma
%K Epstein-Barr virus
%K Chemoradiotherapy
%K Induction chemotherapy
%K Plasma EBV DNA copy numbers
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2407/12/208/abstract