Analysis of prognostic factors of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: impact of in situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus encoded small RNA 1.

Abstract

To evaluate the impact of clinical, histopathological, and molecular biological parameters on the prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The clinical records of 48 patients with a diagnosis of NPC were retrospectively reviewed. In situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus encoded small RNA 1 (EBER-ISH) was applied for 30 paraffin-embedded specimens available. Prognostic factors of NPC were meticulously analyzed. The EBER-ISH signal was shown to be highly significant as a favorable prognostic factor (P = 0.007). Although EBV was more commonly associated with Type III NPC, EBER-ISH-positive Type I-II NPC had also significantly better survival rate than EBER-ISH-negative Type I-II NPC (P = 0.036). In addition to the WHO histopathological grade, the 1997 UICC staging, nodal status, and distant metastasis at presentation, the EBER-ISH signal was shown to be significant as a prognostic factor. This is the first report to describe the EBER-ISH as an independent prognostic factor of NPC regardless of histopathology. B-2b.