title: [Diagnostic evaluation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: role of Epstein-Barr virus].
abstract: We present a retrospective series of 27 nasopharyngeal carcinomas, selected from those attended at Ramón y Cajal Hospital between 1977 and 1996, with the aim of review the role of the study of Epstein-Barr virus in the diagnostic process of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Twenty-seven patients, ranging from 14 to 81 years, with an average age of 50 years were selected. Male/female ratio was 1,7. All but one case were Caucasian. A neck mass was the first symptom in 40% of cases, with a mean diagnostic delay of 17 months. Only 8 cases (23%) did not exhibit neck nodes at the moment of diagnosis. CT and MRI were essential to establish staging: 5 stage I, 7 stage II and 15 stage IV, due to regional extension and/or bone erosion. Radiotherapy was employed in all cases, helped by chemotherapy in 20% of them. With a mean follow-up of 62 months, 5-years survival was 32% (IC 14,06-52,09). Of 27 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma 4 were differentiated (type I), 2 moderately differentiated (type II) and 22 undifferentiated (type III). While LMP-1 was only expressed by 41% of cases, PCR detected Epstein-Barr virus genome in 26 cases (96%) and in situ hybridization for EBERs was positive in all cases. Thus, all nasopharyngeal carcinomas were related to Epstein-Barr virus. Expression of LMP-1 seemed to worse the prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Otorrinolaringología, Fundación Hospital Alcorcón. gmayor@ctv.es
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Plaza
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fogué
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martínez San Millán
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martínez Vidal
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bellas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000821:virology; D012189:Retrospective Studies