Nasopharyngeal carcinoma in children--a retrospective review and demonstration of Epstein-Barr viral genomes in tumor cell cytoplasm: a report of the Pediatric Oncology Group.
Twenty-seven nasopharyngeal carcinomas were entered in the Pediatric Oncology Group Rare Tumor Registry from 1973 to 1988 (15 males, 12 females; 10 white, 15 black, two unknown; aged 8 to 17 years). Eight tumors were non-keratinizing carcinomas (World Health Organization 2) and 19 were undifferentiated (World Health Organization 3). The overall 3-year survival rate was 70% (SE 11%). Nine children developed distant metastases and two were salvaged. We found that localized tumor (P = .02) and black race (P = .05) were associated with a better outcome. In situ hybridization using a biotinylated probe demonstrated Epstein-Barr virus DNA in the cytoplasm of the neoplastic epithelial cells in nine of 11 tumors examined, firmly establishing the presence of Epstein-Barr virus within the malignant cells of nasopharyngeal carcinomas of both World Health Organization 2 and World Health Organization 3 histology, rather than in the surrounding lymphocytes.
Hawkins
E P
EP
Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston.
Krischer
J P
JP
Smith
B E
BE
Hawkins
H K
HK
Finegold
M J
MJ
D000293:Adolescent; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D044469:Racial Groups; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*
D004279:DNA, Viral