Advances of Biomarkers in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma's Early Detection

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC),a highly invasive and meta-static cancer,is widely prevalent in South China,Southeast Asia,and North Africa.NPC patients with stages Ⅰ and Ⅱ are often asymp-tomatic.Therefore,NPC patients are usually diagnosed with advanced-stage(stages Ⅲ and Ⅳ)at their first visit.Detection of NPC at early stage is the key to improve the survival of patients.Epstein-Barr virus(EBV)plays an essential role in NPC occurrence in endemic areas.EBV-based biomarkers,including EBV antibody in serum and EBV DNA in plasma,have been specifically proposed for NPC early detection.Herein,we summarize recent advances in biomarkers for the early detection of NPC.