Article
Pathology
Sudipta Samanta, Muthukaruppan Swaminathan, Jianing Hu, Khai Tuck Lee, Ajitha Sundaresan, Chuan Keng Goh, Chor Hiang Siow, Kwok Seng Loh, Soh Ha Chan, Joshua K. Tay, Ian Cheong
Summary: The use of immunofluorescence assay for detecting serum Epstein-Barr virus antibodies is the gold standard screening test for nasopharyngeal cancer in high-risk populations. This study demonstrates that integrating deep learning with automated fuzzy inference can improve the scalability and accuracy of NPC detection.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Zhi Yi Su, Pui Yan Siak, Chee-Onn Leong, Shiau-Chuen Cheah
Summary: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a metastasis-prone malignancy associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Despite global EBV infection, NPC incidences are higher in certain ethnic groups and endemic regions. Research has revealed the molecular mechanisms of NPC pathogenesis due to EBV infection and environmental/genetic factors. EBV-associated biomarkers can be used for mass population screening and EBV products may act as therapeutic targets. This review discusses the role of EBV in NPC and efforts to utilize EBV-associated molecules as biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medical Laboratory Technology
Zhi-Cong Wu, Ke-Na Lin, Xue-Qi Li, Xin Ye, Hua Chen, Jun Tao, Hang-Ning Zhou, Wen-Jie Chen, Dong-Feng Lin, Shang-Hang Xie, Su-Mei Cao
Summary: The developed E-CpMQ assay enables accurate and reproducible quantification of EBV Cp methylation ratio and offers a sensitive and specific method for NPC early detection, with a sensitivity of 96.4% and a specificity of 89.8%.
CLINICAL CHEMISTRY AND LABORATORY MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Cheng Lin, Keyu Lin, Bin Zhang, Ying Su, Qiaojuan Guo, Tianzhu Lu, Yuanji Xu, Shaojun Lin, Jingfeng Zong, Jianji Pan
Summary: Plasma BART8-3p is a promising biomarker for the detection and prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), as high levels of BART8-3p are associated with worse overall survival, distant metastasis-free survival, and locoregional relapse-free survival.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Li-Jen Liao, Wan-Lun Hsu, Chi-Ju Chen, Yen-Ling Chiu
Summary: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is endemic in southern Asia and this article describes the molecular abnormalities in NPC and potential molecular mechanisms for future therapy. It provides an up-to-date review on the molecular pathways of NPC, improving our understanding of the disease and highlighting areas for further research.
Review
Oncology
Ramon Yarza, Mateo Bover, Maria Teresa Agullo-Ortuno, Lara Carmen Iglesias-Docampo
Summary: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a molecularly paradigmatic tumor with complex environmental and host dependent factors, where Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) plays a key role in malignant transformation. The dysregulation of proteasome signaling is central in NPC pathogenesis and could be a potential therapeutic target. Studies have shown the efficacy of immunotherapy in NPC, with novel strategies aiming to reverse immune resistance and favor tumor recognition.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Arghavan Zebardast, Sadra S. Tehrani, Tayebeh Latifi, Farzin Sadeghi
Summary: EBV-encoded miRNAs play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of EBVaGC, participating in carcinogenesis and the progression of malignancies by regulating gene expression and other activities.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Kelly J. Yu, Wan-Lun Hsu, Chun-Ju Chiang, Tseng-Cheng Chen, Zhiwei Liu, Pei-Jen Lou, Scott Diehl, Alisa M. Goldstein, Chien-Jen Chen, Cheng-Ping Wang, Allan Hildesheim
Summary: This study reassessed familial aggregation of cancer in high-risk Taiwanese multiplex families with NPC cases and found evidence of NPC coaggregation within families, but not a broader familial syndrome involving NPC and other tumors. The study also observed elevated rates of secondary cancers among NPC cases, mostly head and neck and hematopoietic cancers, suggesting radiation treatment effects on subsequent cancer risk.
Review
Oncology
Rina Jiromaru, Takashi Nakagawa, Ryuji Yasumatsu
Summary: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has shown improved treatment outcomes in recent years, but advanced stages still carry a poor prognosis. Chemoradiotherapy is the main treatment option, along with platinum-based chemotherapy. Immunotherapy, especially immune checkpoint inhibitors, is being explored as a potential treatment for recurrent or metastatic NPC. Future trends in NPC treatment include risk classification based on plasma EBV-DNA levels and personalized therapy selection.
CANCER MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Guang-Li Zhu, Xue-Liang Fang, Kai-Bin Yang, Ling-Long Tang, Jun Ma
Summary: The study developed and validated a joint model for dynamic prediction of overall survival in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients based on post-treatment plasma cfEBV DNA load. The model showed reliable performance and could provide subject-specific dynamic prediction for personalized post-treatment surveillance and risk stratification.
Article
Cell Biology
Xiandong Lin, Steven Wang, Keyu Lin, Jingfeng Zong, Qianlan Zheng, Ying Su, Tao Huang
Summary: This study investigated the roles of microRNAs and circular RNAs in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC) by constructing a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA co-expression network and performing differential expression analysis. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection was found to be an important risk factor for NPC, with potential pathological differences between EBV+ and EBV- subtypes. The study identified differentially expressed coding and non-coding RNAs across different comparison groups, helping to elucidate genetic and epigenetic changes central to NPC progression.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Zhi Yi Su, Pui Yan Siak, Chee-Onn Leong, Shiau-Chuen Cheah
Summary: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma microenvironment is a complex niche with important clinical value, which can serve as a rich field for the discovery of potential predictive or diagnostic biomarkers and the development of therapeutic strategies. Studying this environment can provide a better understanding of tumor biology mechanisms and guide clinical practice.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Chin-King Looi, Lian-Chee Foong, Felicia Fei-Lei Chung, Alan Soo-Beng Khoo, Ee-Mun Loo, Chee-Onn Leong, Chun-Wai Mai
Summary: This review provides updated understanding of the roles of epigenetic factors in regulating EBV latent gene expression and promoting NPC progression. The crosstalk between epigenetic mechanisms and immune evasion in NPC is explored, along with the potential roles of DNMT and HDAC inhibitors in reversing immune suppression and augmenting antitumour immunity. Furthermore, the advantages of combining epigenetic therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitor to reverse immune resistance and improve clinical outcomes are highlighted.
CELL BIOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Xiao-Hui Zheng, Chang-Mi Deng, Ting Zhou, Xi-Zhao Li, Cao-Li Tang, Cheng-Tao Jiang, Ying Liao, Tong-Min Wang, Yong-Qiao He, Wei-Hua Jia
Summary: Saliva sampling is a non-invasive method that can be done by individuals themselves. This study used saliva samples to explore the use of EBV methylation as a biomarker in the diagnosis of NPC. The results showed that EBV methylation was significantly increased in NPC patients compared to controls, and detection of specific CpG sites showed good diagnostic performance. The study suggests that non-invasive detection of NPC through saliva sampling could be a promising alternative for future large-scale screening.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Xiaoyan Qian, Haizhu Chen, Yunxia Tao
Summary: This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the association between various biomarkers and clinical outcomes in nasopharyngeal cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). The analysis revealed that lower baseline plasma EBV DNA levels, decreased EBV DNA load during immunotherapy, and higher PD-L1 expression were associated with better treatment response. Lower baseline plasma EBV DNA levels were also linked to longer progression-free survival (PFS).
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Matt Lechner, Yoko Takahashi, Mario Turri-Zanoni, Marco Ferrari, Jacklyn Liu, Nicholas Counsell, Davide Mattavelli, Vittorio Rampinelli, William Vermi, Davide Lombardi, Rami Saade, Ki Wan Park, Volker H. Schartinger, Alessandro Franchi, Carla Facco, Fausto Sessa, Simonetta Battocchio, Tim R. Fenton, Francis M. Vaz, Paul O'Flynn, David Howard, Paul Stimpson, Simon Wang, S. Alam Hannan, Samit Unadkat, Jonathan Hughes, Raghav Dwivedi, Cillian T. Forde, Premjit Randhawa, Simon Gane, Jonathan Joseph, Peter J. Andrews, Manas Dave, Jason C. Fleming, David Thomson, Tianyu Zhu, Andrew Teschendorff, Gary Royle, Christopher Steele, Joaquin E. Jimenez, Jan Laco, Eric W. Wang, Carl Snyderman, Peter D. Lacy, Robbie Woods, James P. O'Neill, Anirudh Saraswathula, Raman Preet Kaur, Tianna Zhao, Murugappan Ramanathan, Gary L. Gallia, Nyall R. London, Quynh-Thu Le, Robert B. West, Zara M. Patel, Jayakar V. Nayak, Peter H. Hwang, Mario Hermsen, Jose Llorente, Fabio Facchetti, Piero Nicolai, Paolo Bossi, Paolo Castelnuovo, Amrita Jay, Dawn Carnell, Martin D. Forster, Diana M. Bell, Valerie J. Lund, Ehab Y. Hanna
Summary: This study retrospectively analyzed clinical data from 505 cases of sinonasal mucosal melanoma (SNMM). It found that further stratifying the T3 stage by sinus involvement has a high predictive value for prognosis. Adjuvant radiotherapy can improve survival rates, and immune checkpoint inhibitors show potential benefits for the treatment of recurrent, persistent, or metastatic disease.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGICAL SURGERY PART B-SKULL BASE
(2023)
Article
Medical Laboratory Technology
Stephanie C. Y. Yu, Jiaen Deng, Rong Qiao, Suk Hang Cheng, Wenlei Peng, So Ling Lau, L. Y. Lois Choy, Tak Y. Leung, John Wong, Vincent Wai-Sun Wong, Grace L. H. Wong, Peiyong Jiang, Rossa W. K. Chiu, K. C. Allen Chan, Y. M. Dennis Lo
Summary: Recent studies have highlighted the presence of a substantial amount of analyzable long cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in plasma through single molecule, real-time (SMRT) sequencing. In this study, the size biases of SMRT sequencing by PacBio and nanopore sequencing by ONT were evaluated. The results showed that both platforms had biases towards sequencing longer DNA fragments, with PacBio showing a stronger bias. Tissue-of-origin analysis based on single-molecule methylation patterns performed comparably on both platforms. It is important to be aware of the analytical characteristics and biases of the sequencing platforms used when analyzing the size and end motif of cfDNA.
CLINICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Maura L. Gillison, Robert L. Ferris, Jonathan Harris, A. Dimitrios Colevas, Loren K. Mell, Christina Kong, Richard C. Jordan, Kevin L. Moore, Minh-Tam Truong, Claudia Kirsch, Arnab Chakravarti, Dukagjin M. Blakaj, David A. Clump, James P. Ohr, John F. Deeken, Michael F. Gensheimer, Nabil F. Saba, Jennifer A. Dorth, David I. Rosenthal, Rom S. Leidner, Randall J. Kimple, Mitchell Machtay, Walter J. Curran, Pedro Torres-Saavedra, Quynh Thu Le
Summary: A study found that the concurrent administration of nivolumab with (chemo)radiation is safe and effective for newly diagnosed patients with intermediate and high-risk head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RADIATION ONCOLOGY BIOLOGY PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Oncology
A. T. C. Chan, V. H. F. Lee, R-L Hong, M. -J. Ahn, W. Q. Chong, S. -B. Kim, G. F. Ho, P. B. Caguioa, N. Ngamphaiboon, C. Ho, M. A. S. A. Aziz, Q. S. Ng, C. -J. Yen, N. Soparattanapaisarn, R. K. -C Ngan, S. K. Kho, M. L. A. Tiambeng, T. Yun, V. Sriuranpong, A. P. Algazi, A. Cheng, E. Massarelli, R. F. Swaby, S. Saraf, J. Yuan, L. L. Siu
Summary: Pembrolizumab showed robust antitumor activity and manageable safety in patients with platinum-pretreated recurrent and/or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma. However, it did not significantly improve overall survival compared with chemotherapy.
ANNALS OF ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
W. K. Jacky Lam, Ann D. King, Jacob A. Miller, Zhiwei Liu, Kelly J. Yu, Melvin L. K. Chua, Brigette B. Y. Ma, Ming Yuan Chen, Benjamin A. Pinsky, Pei-Jen Lou, John K. S. Woo, Wan-Lun Hsu, Julia Simon, Denise L. Doolan, Tim Waterboer, Edwin P. Hui, Hui Li, Raymond K. Tsang, Kenneth C. W. Wong, Julian P. Goh, Alexander C. Vlantis, Qi Yong Ai, Lun M. Wong, Victor Abdullah, Jin Ching Lin, Chien-Jen Chen, Ruth M. Pfeiffer, Quynh-Thu Le, Anne W. M. Lee, Mingfang Ji, Sumei Cao, Jun Ma, Anthony T. C. Chan, K. C. Allen Chan, Allan Hildesheim
Summary: A meeting of experts in November 2021 discussed the performance and cost-effectiveness of EBV-based approaches for screening early stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Both serum EBV antibody and plasma EBV DNA testing methods were found to be favorable. Additionally, the use of MRI was recommended to increase the sensitivity of NPC detection without greatly impacting the cost-effectiveness of the screening program.
JNCI-JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lili Li, Xing-sheng Shu, Hua Geng, Jianming Ying, Lei Guo, Jie Luo, Tingxiu Xiang, Longtao Wu, Brigette B. Y. Ma, Anthony T. C. Chan, Xiaofeng Zhu, Richard F. Ambinder, Qian Tao
Summary: Peptides/small proteins encoded by noncanonical open reading frames (ORF) of previously claimed non-coding RNAs have important biological functions but are largely uncharacterized. In this study, we identified and validated a small protein SP0495 as a novel tumor suppressor, frequently inactivated by promoter methylation in multiple tumors. SP0495 functions as a phosphoinositide-binding protein, regulating AKT signaling activation and autophagy. It inhibits tumor cell growth and induces apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, senescence, and autophagy through multiple mechanisms, including the modulation of phosphoinositides turnover and autophagic/proteasomal degradation of autophagy regulators. SP0495 has the potential to be a biomarker for cancer diagnosis and prognosis.
CELL DEATH AND DIFFERENTIATION
(2023)
Editorial Material
Oncology
Brianna Lau, Felicia Guo, John Valenton, Daniel Chang, Quynh-Thu Le, Kathleen Horst
Summary: Workplace culture is often overlooked, but it plays a crucial role in improving health care efficiency. In this study, a culture committee was established to address burnout and promote employee wellness in a radiation oncology department. With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee's role became even more important in tackling the increased burnout and social isolation among health care workers.
PRACTICAL RADIATION ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Nancy Y. Lee, Jonathan Harris, John Kim, Adam Garden, James Mechalakos, David G. Pfister, Anthony T. C. Chan, Kenneth Hu, A. Dimitrios Colevas, Steven Frank, George Shenouda, Voichita Bar-Ad, John N. Waldron, Paul M. Harari, Adam Raben, Pedro Torres-Saavedra, Quynh-Thu Le
Summary: The study aimed to assess the long-term toxic effects and clinical outcomes associated with adding bevacizumab, a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor, to standard chemoradiation for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The results showed favorable long-term outcomes and no severe adverse events when using bevacizumab in combination with chemoradiation. Further investigation may be warranted.
Article
Oncology
Dhanya K. Nambiar, Vignesh Viswanathan, Hongbin Cao, Weiruo Zhang, Li Guan, Manish Chamoli, Brittany Holmes, Christina Kong, Rachel Hildebrand, Amanda Jeanette Koong, Rie von Eyben, Sylvia Plevritis, Lingyin Li, Amato Giaccia, Edgar Engleman, Quynh Thu Le
Summary: Galectin-1 increases STING stability in cancer cells that activates NF-kappa B signaling and CXCL2 expression to promote MDSC trafficking, which stimulates the generation of a premetastatic niche and facilitates metastatic progression.
Article
Oncology
W. K. Jacky Lam, Anthony T. C. Chan
Summary: A recent study has identified a new serological biomarker for NPC screening that targets the EBV protein BNLF2b. This biomarker demonstrated higher sensitivity and specificity for NPC detection compared with conventional antibodies.
NATURE REVIEWS CLINICAL ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Michael F. Gensheimer, Harriet Gee, Hiroki Shirato, Hiroshi Taguchi, John M. Snyder, Alexander L. Chin, Lucas K. Vitzthum, Peter G. Maxim, Heather A. Wakelee, Joel Neal, Millie Das, Daniel T. Chang, Elizabeth Kidd, Steven L. Hancock, David B. Shultz, Kathleen C. Horst, Quynh-Thu Le, Samantha Wong, Eleanor Brown, Ngan Nguyen, Rachel Liang, Billy W. Loo, Maximilian Diehn
Summary: Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) can be individualized based on tumor size, location, and histological characteristics to achieve excellent local control for lung tumors. This nonrandomized controlled trial suggests that individualized SABR may allow minimization of treatment dose and reduce toxic effects.
Article
Oncology
Stuart J. Wong, Pedro A. Torres-Saavedra, Nabil F. Saba, George Shenouda, Jeffrey M. Bumpous, Robert E. Wallace, Christine H. Chung, Adel K. El-Naggar, Clement K. Gwede, Barbara Burtness, Paul A. Tennant, Neal E. Dunlap, Rebecca Redman, William A. Stokes, Soumon Rudra, Loren K. Mell, Assuntina G. Sacco, Sharon A. Spencer, Lisle Nabell, Min Yao, Fabio L. Cury, Darrion L. Mitchell, Christopher U. Jones, Selim Firat, Joseph N. Contessa, Thomas Galloway, Adam Currey, Jonathan Harris, Walter J. Curran Jr, Quynh-Thu Le
Summary: This study investigated whether adding lapatinib to radiation plus cisplatin for frontline therapy of stage III to IV non-HPV head and neck cancer patients improves progression-free survival.
Article
Oncology
Claire Petit, Anne Lee, Jun Ma, Benjamin Lacas, Wai Tong Ng, Anthony T. C. Chan, Ruey-Long Hong, Ming-Yuan Chen, Lei Chen, Wen-Fei Li, Pei-Yu Huang, Terence Tan, Roger K. C. Ngan, Guopei Zhu, Hai-Qiang Mai, Edwin P. Hui, George Fountzilas, Li Zhang, Alexandra Carmel, Dora L. W. Kwong, James Moon, Jean Bourhis, Anne Auperin, Jean-Pierre Pignon, Pierre Blanchard
Summary: This study updated the evaluation of chemotherapy for nasopharynx carcinoma through a network meta-analysis. The results showed that the addition of induction chemotherapy or adjuvant chemotherapy to chemoradiotherapy improved overall survival for patients with non-metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma compared to chemoradiotherapy alone.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Callum Beach, David MacLean, Dominika Majorova, Stavros Melemenidis, Dhanya K. Nambiar, Ryan K. Kim, Gabriel N. Valbuena, Silvia Guglietta, Carsten Krieg, Mahnaz Darvish-Damavandi, Tatsuya Suwa, Alistair Easton, Lily V. S. Hillson, Ashley K. McCulloch, Ross K. McMahon, Kathryn Pennel, Joanne Edwards, Sean M. O'Cathail, Campbell S. Roxburgh, Enric Domingo, Eui Jung Moon, Dadi Jiang, Yanyan Jiang, Qingyang Zhang, Albert C. Koong, Trent M. Woodruff, Edward E. Graves, Tim Maughan, Simon J. A. Buczacki, Manuel Stucki, Quynh-Thu Le, Simon J. Leedham, Amato J. Giaccia, Monica M. Olcina
Summary: An immunosuppressive microenvironment in colorectal cancer hinders tumor T cell infiltration and decreases patient overall survival. This study identifies complement receptor C5aR1 as a potential druggable target to enhance radiotherapy response, even in tumors with immunosuppressive features. Furthermore, C5aR1 not only plays a role in the immune compartment but is also expressed on malignant epithelial cells, suggesting its tumor cell-specific functions. Targeting C5aR1 leads to increased tumor apoptosis without affecting normal tissues, indicating its primary role in regulating malignant cell fate.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Elaine Limkin, Pierre Blanchard, Benjamin Lacas, Jean Bourhis, Mahesh Parmar, Lisa Licitra, Quynh-Thu Le, Sue S. Yom, Catherine Fortpied, Johannes Langendijk, Jan B. Vermorken, Jacques Bernier, Jens Overgaard, Jonathan Harris, Jean-Pierre Pignon, Anne Auperin
Summary: This study investigated the impact of season of radiotherapy on the outcomes of head and neck squamous cell cancer patients. The results showed that the season of radiotherapy did not have any significant effect on patient outcomes.
RADIOTHERAPY AND ONCOLOGY
(2024)