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Remarkable Application of Serum EBV EBER‐1 in Monitoring Response of Nasopharyngeal Cancer Patients to Salvage Chemotherapy
Author(s) -
NGAN ROGER K. C.,
LAU W. H.,
YIP TIMOTHY T. C.,
CHO WILLIAM C. S.,
CHENG W. W.,
LIM C. K. P.,
WAN K. K.,
CHU E.,
JOAB I.,
GRUNEWALD V.,
POON Y. F.,
HO JOHN H. C.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2001.tb03866.x
Subject(s) - chemotherapy , medicine , concordance , gastroenterology , nasopharyngeal cancer , oncology , nasopharyngeal carcinoma , radiation therapy
A bstract : Nineteen consecutive patients with metastatic or recurrent nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) receiving combination chemotherapy were monitored for EBV DNA in their serum. EBV DNA (EBER‐1) concentration in serum was measured before, during, and after chemotherapy. Thirteen patients had additional multiple prechemotherapy readings. There was a significant lead time from first detection of serum EBER‐1 to clinical recurrence in 62% of patients by a mean of 17.4 weeks (range: 8–74.5 weeks; mean = 28.2 weeks if confined to the 8 patients with significant lead time). The median EBER‐1 concentration was significantly higher in those with distant metastasis as compared to those with loco‐regional recurrence only (17,468 vs. 684 pg/mL serum; p = 0.046 , Mann‐Whitney U test). Among the 13 patients who responded to chemotherapy, 4 exhibited clinical complete remission (CR) who were only found in the group with EBER‐1 DNA drop to background level, while the magnitude of EBER‐1 drop did not discriminate partial remission (PR) and stable disease (SD) patients clearly. Subsequent profile of EBER‐1 DNA showed concordance with clinical course of either continuous remission or later progression. EBER‐1 DNA in serum can become a useful adjunctive surrogate marker to monitor chemotherapeutic response in NPC patients with distant metastasis or advanced local recurrence.