title: Plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA concentration and clearance rate as novel prognostic factors for metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To investigate the pretreatment copy number and the clearance rate of plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA as novel prognostic outcome markers for metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-three patients with metastatic NPC were treated at outpatient department. Plasma EBV DNA concentrations and half-life values of plasma viral clearance rates, were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment response evaluated after 3 to 6 months of treatment showed that the overall response rate was 53.5%. The pretreatment plasma EBV DNA concentrations and the half-life of plasma EBV DNA clearance rates had significant effects on treatment response and overall survival prediction. In the chemotherapy regimen, gemcitabine plus cisplatin had a better treatment outcome than the cisplatin plus oral UFT and calcium folinate-based regimens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pretreatment plasma EBV DNA copy number and their clearance rates are significant predictors for NPC treatment outcome.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Cheng-Lung
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Kai-Ping
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Chien-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Hsien-Kun
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Cheng-Hsu
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tung-Liang
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chun-Ta
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Ngan-Ming
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: Li-Yu
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sheng-Chieh
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Shu-Hang
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Hsin-Pai
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yu-Sun
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Hung-Ming
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006207:Half-Life; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology*; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral