A simple blood test accurately detects nasopharyngeal cancer by detecting fragments of Epstein-Barr virus DNA in blood samples. Key points Nasopharyngeal cancer is relatively rare, with <1 case per 100000 people globally. This rare cancer is closely related to the Epstein-Barr virus. Since Epstein-Barr virus genome is found in 99% of tumor cells of nasopharyngeal cancer, researchers developed a simple blood test to detect fragments of Epstein-Barr virus DNA in blood samples. Nasopharyngeal cancer is more common in Asia and therefore, this test is of great value in Asia. This blood test accurately detected nasopharyngeal cancer 97 % of the time.
It accurately ruled out healthy people 98 % of the time. Reference KC Allen Chan et al. Analysis of Plasma Epstein–Barr Virus DNA to Screen for Nasopharyngeal Cancer. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2017, 377, 513-522. What is the…
