Home / Deep Research / Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

1. Disease Information

2026-05-10
Falcon MONDO:0015459 Model: Edison Scientific Literature 43 citations

1. Disease Information

1.1 Overview / definition

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is an epithelial head-and-neck malignancy originating from the mucosal lining of the nasopharynx (zhou2026shiftingburdenof pages 1-2). It is notable for pronounced geographic clustering (endemic regions in Southern China and parts of Southeast Asia and North Africa) and for a strong association with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), particularly in endemic non-keratinizing forms (jiang2024recentadvancesin pages 1-2, su2023theroleof pages 1-2).

1.2 Key identifiers and ontology alignment (available in retrieved sources)

  • MONDO: MONDO:0015459 (nasopharyngeal carcinoma) (OpenTargets Search: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma,Nasopharyngeal cancer)
  • Related disease entities in OpenTargets results: “nasopharyngeal neoplasm” (EFO:0004252), “nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma” (EFO:1000058) (OpenTargets Search: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma,Nasopharyngeal cancer)

Not retrieved in the available corpus (therefore not asserted): ICD-10/ICD-11 codes, MeSH ID, Orphanet ID, OMIM disease ID.

1.3 Synonyms / alternative names

  • Nasopharyngeal cancer; nasopharynx cancer; nasopharyngeal neoplasm (OpenTargets Search: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma,Nasopharyngeal cancer)

1.4 Evidence source type

This report synthesizes aggregated disease-level resources (expert recommendations, reviews, global burden datasets) and primary human studies (screening/diagnostic accuracy, case-control host–virus genetics) plus experimental models (organoid-initiated murine orthotopic models). (lam2023recommendationsforepsteinbarr pages 4-4, li2025diagnosticperformanceof pages 2-4, xu2024hostgeneticvariants pages 5-6, wan2024primaryandorthotopic pages 9-12)

2. Etiology

2.1 Primary causal factors

EBV as principal etiologic driver in endemic NPC. Reviews and expert sources emphasize that endemic NPC is EBV-associated and that EBV–host and tumor–immune interactions are central to its pathogenesis. For example, a 2023 review states that “EBV is the primary causative agent of NPC” and highlights EBV immune interactions as defining pathology (undifferentiated carcinoma with extensive lymphocyte infiltration). (yoshizaki2023recentadvancesin pages 8-9)

2.2 Risk factors

Infectious (EBV)

NPC is “closely associated with the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)” and EBV-associated biomarkers have been leveraged for mass screening in endemic regions (su2023theroleof pages 1-2).

Host genetics (genetic susceptibility; gene–virus interaction)

A 2024 population-based case-control study in endemic southern China (Cell Genomics; published Feb 2024; URL https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100474) quantified a strong host HLA × EBV subtype interaction. The authors reported GWAS evidence that “HLA genes have the most consistent and prominent evidence for the association with NPC,” citing rs2860580 (OR 1.72) and rs2894207 (OR 1.64) (xu2024hostgeneticvariants pages 3-4). They found that an EBV subtype defined by variant 163364 was associated with a 6.86-fold increased NPC risk and demonstrated substantial additive interaction (RERI 4.08 and 3.37 for the two HLA SNPs), implying that a large fraction of inherited susceptibility manifests in the presence of high-risk EBV (xu2024hostgeneticvariants pages 5-6).

Environmental / lifestyle / occupational

Recent synthesis sources highlight: - Salt-preserved foods (nitrosamines and EBV-reactivating chemicals). A 2024 early-detection review reports preserved-food intake associated with relative risks spanning roughly 1.4–3.2 (weekly) and 1.8–7.5 (daily) across Chinese studies (jiang2024recentadvancesin pages 2-5). - Smoking and occupational exposures including dusts/formaldehyde are repeatedly described as contributing to NPC risk and geographic heterogeneity (zhang2024globalepidemiologicalprofile pages 1-1, jiang2024recentadvancesin pages 2-5).

2.3 Protective factors

Robust protective genetic or environmental factors were not directly supported in the retrieved primary corpus and are therefore not asserted.

2.4 Gene–environment / gene–virus interactions

The most clearly quantified interaction in the retrieved 2023–2024 primary literature is host HLA × EBV subtype (gene–virus). The Cell Genomics study concluded that targeting high-risk EBV carriers and/or high-risk viral lineages could substantially reduce risk in endemic settings (xu2024hostgeneticvariants pages 1-3, xu2024hostgeneticvariants pages 5-6).

3. Phenotypes

3.1 Common presenting symptoms and signs

Clinical presentation can be non-specific, contributing to delayed diagnosis. A 2023 review lists common symptoms including “headache, epistaxis, and facial pain” (su2023theroleof pages 1-2).

Candidate HPO terms (suggestions): - Epistaxis — HP:0000421 - Headache — HP:0002315 - Facial pain — HP:0000337

3.2 Histologic subtypes (WHO categories)

A 2023 review describes WHO histologic categories: keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma (type 1), non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma (type 2), and undifferentiated carcinoma (type 3), noting EBV prevalence is “100% in type 2 and type 3 NPC” in endemic areas (su2023theroleof pages 1-2). A 2024 review similarly emphasizes that endemic NPC is dominated by EBV-associated non-keratinizing tumors (“accounting for over 95% of cases” in endemic areas) (jiang2024recentadvancesin pages 1-2).

3.3 Age of onset, progression, and frequency

NPC has strong sex and age patterns: a 2024 review states men are “two to three times more likely” than women to develop NPC and that the “peak age of disease occurrence” is ~45 years (jiang2024recentadvancesin pages 1-2). A key clinical pattern is late presentation: “up to 80%” diagnosed at stage III–IV and “10%” with distant metastases (jiang2024recentadvancesin pages 1-2).

3.4 Quality of life impact

Direct QoL instrument data (e.g., EORTC QLQ-H&N, EQ-5D) were not retrieved. Indirectly, advanced-stage disease requires more intensive multimodality therapy and has worse outcomes than early-stage disease (su2023theroleof pages 1-2, yoshizaki2023recentadvancesin pages 8-9).

4. Genetic / Molecular Information

4.1 Key genes and molecular themes (somatic + viral)

EBV latent and lytic gene programs. A 2023 review highlights EBV–host and tumor–immune interactions and notes key EBV genes including LMP1 (oncogene) and BZLF1 (lytic induction) (yoshizaki2023recentadvancesin pages 8-9). Reviews also emphasize that elevated anti-EBV antibodies and plasma EBV DNA are clinically used biomarkers for EBV-associated NPC (yoshizaki2023recentadvancesin pages 8-9, yoshizaki2023recentadvancesin pages 9-11).

Pathway-level concepts (review-synthesized). EBV latent proteins are described to influence oncogenic signaling and immune evasion; authoritative reviews cite involvement of immune checkpoints and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (yoshizaki2023recentadvancesin pages 8-9, su2023theroleof pages 1-2).

4.2 Host susceptibility variants (primary human evidence)

The Cell Genomics 2024 study provides primary, quantitative evidence that common HLA-associated SNPs (rs2860580; rs2894207) confer modest risk (OR ~1.6–1.7) but interact strongly with a high-risk EBV subtype (variant 163364), indicating that host genetics and EBV strain jointly drive NPC risk (xu2024hostgeneticvariants pages 3-4, xu2024hostgeneticvariants pages 5-6).

4.3 Epigenetic information

Recent reviews emphasize aberrant DNA methylation as an early and important molecular theme (e.g., tumor suppressor methylation in NPC) (jiang2024recentadvancesin pages 2-5).

4.4 Experimental functional genetics (model systems)

A 2024 Advanced Science study (published Jul 2024; URL https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202403161) developed organoid-initiated murine models: “we created a serial of primary, orthotopic, and genetic driver-defined NPC mouse models initiated with gene-edited normal nasopharyngeal organoids.” (wan2024primaryandorthotopic pages 9-12). In these models, the authors “experimentally validated TP53 and CDKN2A as bona fide tumor suppressors of NPC” and reported that TGFBR2 loss promoted progression and lung metastasis and LMP1 promoted distal metastasis (wan2024primaryandorthotopic pages 9-12, wan2024primaryandorthotopic pages 6-7).

Suggested GO Biological Process terms (examples): - EBV infection / host–virus interaction — “viral process” (GO:0016032) - Immune evasion / immune checkpoint signaling — “negative regulation of T cell activation” (GO:0050868) - DNA methylation — “DNA methylation” (GO:0006306) - EMT and metastasis — “epithelial to mesenchymal transition” (GO:0001837)

Suggested CL (cell type) terms (examples): - Nasopharyngeal epithelial cell / squamous epithelial cell (epithelial lineage; CL suggestions) - Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (T cell; B cell; macrophage)

5. Environmental Information

NPC’s geographic clustering is attributed to a combination of EBV, host genetics, and environmental/lifestyle risks. A GLOBOCAN-based epidemiology analysis explicitly lists etiologic contributors including “Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, smoking, consumption of salted fish and other preserved foods and occupational exposure to wood dust” (zhang2024globalepidemiologicalprofile pages 1-1).

6. Mechanism / Pathophysiology (causal chain; current understanding)

6.1 High-level causal chain

1) EBV infection of nasopharyngeal epithelium with persistence/latency and tumor–immune interactions (yoshizaki2023recentadvancesin pages 8-9, su2023theroleof pages 1-2). 2) Host susceptibility (notably HLA-region variation) shapes immune recognition of EBV and—together with high-risk viral lineages—markedly increases cancer risk (xu2024hostgeneticvariants pages 5-6). 3) Oncogenic signaling + epigenetic reprogramming (including methylation patterns) support malignant transformation and immune escape (jiang2024recentadvancesin pages 2-5). 4) Progression and metastasis are promoted by viral oncogenes (e.g., LMP1) and by loss of tumor suppressors / microenvironmental remodeling (TP53/CDKN2A/TGFBR2 in murine orthotopic models) (wan2024primaryandorthotopic pages 9-12).

6.2 Upstream vs downstream

7. Anatomical Structures Affected

7.1 Primary site

Suggested UBERON term (example): - Nasopharynx — UBERON:0001736 (suggested; ontology mapping not directly retrieved in sources)

7.2 Secondary involvement

8. Temporal Development

8.1 Onset and course

NPC often has an insidious course with non-specific symptoms; late-stage diagnosis is common (su2023theroleof pages 1-2, jiang2024recentadvancesin pages 1-2).

8.2 Staging

The TNM system is the primary framework for risk evaluation and treatment stratification (jiang2024recentadvancesin pages 1-2).

9. Inheritance and Population

9.1 Epidemiology and demographics (recent quantitative evidence)

A 2024 BMJ Open prediction study using GLOBOCAN 2020 reports 133,354 NPC cases and 80,008 deaths globally in 2020, with East Asia as the “epicentre” accounting for 49.39% of cases and 45.56% of deaths (published Dec 2024; URL https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-091087) (zhang2024globalepidemiologicalprofile pages 1-1). The study projects growth to 179,476 cases and 113,851 deaths by 2040 under demographic change assumptions (zhang2024globalepidemiologicalprofile pages 4-5).

A 2024 review highlights extreme regional variation (incidence >15/100,000 person-years in some Southeast Asian communities vs <1/100,000 in the United States) and endemic concentration in Southern China, Southeast Asia, and Northern Africa (published Aug 2024; URL https://doi.org/10.1007/s12672-024-01242-3) (jiang2024recentadvancesin pages 1-2).

9.2 Inheritance pattern

NPC is best characterized as multifactorial (polygenic susceptibility interacting with EBV and environment). The strongest quantified 2024 human evidence is a host HLA × EBV subtype interaction (xu2024hostgeneticvariants pages 5-6).

10. Diagnostics

10.1 Clinical diagnostic workflow (current understanding)

Nasopharyngeal endoscopy with pathologic examination remains the diagnostic gold standard (yoshizaki2023recentadvancesin pages 8-9). Screening-positive individuals can undergo confirmatory evaluation with endoscopy and, per expert recommendations, MRI to improve sensitivity (lam2023recommendationsforepsteinbarr pages 1-2).

10.2 EBV-related biomarkers (screening and diagnosis)

Expert recommendations (2023). A 2023 JNCI expert meeting report concluded that serum EBV antibody testing and plasma EBV DNA testing “were found to have favorable performance characteristics and to be cost-effective in high-risk populations,” and that MRI use in evaluation of screen-positive individuals increases sensitivity (published Feb 2023; URL https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djad012) (lam2023recommendationsforepsteinbarr pages 1-2).

Screening performance metrics (Table evidence). The same JNCI report tabulated 1-year screening metrics: EBV IgA serology sensitivity 93%, specificity 97%, PPV 4.4%; plasma EBV DNA sensitivity 97%, specificity 99%, PPV 11.0% (lam2023recommendationsforepsteinbarr pages 4-4). The table is captured as an image (lam2023recommendationsforepsteinbarr media a09887fa).

Specimen-based EBV DNA diagnostic accuracy (2025 case-control). In a paired-specimen case-control study (150 NPC cases vs 150 controls), EBV DNA in nasopharyngeal swabs had higher AUC (0.97) than plasma (0.93); at specified cutoffs, swab sensitivity 92.0% and specificity 98.67%, plasma sensitivity 85.33% and specificity 98.67% (published Jul 2025; URL https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-025-14539-5) (li2025diagnosticperformanceof pages 2-4).

10.3 Differential diagnosis

Detailed differential diagnosis lists were not comprehensively retrieved. However, expert recommendations discuss advanced MRI approaches to distinguish early NPC from benign hyperplasia in diagnostic evaluation contexts (lam2023recommendationsforepsteinbarr pages 9-10).

11. Outcome / Prognosis

Stage at diagnosis strongly influences survival. A 2023 review reports a “5-year overall survival (OS) rate… as high as 94%” for early-stage NPC and “73.7%” for late-stage (III–IV) disease (su2023theroleof pages 1-2). In a 2024 review, stage II 5-year disease-specific survival is cited as 97.3% (jiang2024recentadvancesin pages 1-2). These figures underscore the importance of earlier detection and screening in high-risk populations.

12. Treatment

12.1 Standard modalities (real-world practice)

A 2023 review states early-stage NPC is treated with radiotherapy alone, whereas advanced-stage disease typically requires combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy (yoshizaki2023recentadvancesin pages 8-9). Locoregionally advanced disease is commonly approached with induction chemotherapy and concurrent chemoradiotherapy in contemporary practice (jin2024theefficacyand pages 1-3).

12.2 Immunotherapy (PD-1 blockade) and real-world implementation

Regulatory implementation (United States). A 2025 commentary letter reports that toripalimab was approved by the US FDA on 10/27/2023 for first-line treatment of locally advanced/recurrent/metastatic NPC in combination with cisplatin + gemcitabine, and as monotherapy after progression on platinum therapy (published Jan 2025; URL https://doi.org/10.47391/jpma.20757) (siddiqui2025toripalimabanew pages 1-1).

Clinical evidence base (summarized). Systematic and consensus sources describe multiple phase III trials adding PD-1 inhibitors to gemcitabine/cisplatin chemotherapy in recurrent/metastatic NPC (e.g., JUPITER-02 and CAPTAIN-1st) (qiu2025efficacysafetyand pages 1-3, manoharan2025efficacyandsafety pages 6-7). In locoregionally advanced NPC, a 2024 real-world propensity score-matched analysis reported improved complete response and cfEBV DNA clearance and numerically improved 3-year DFS (84% to 95%) with added PD-1 blockade, with comparable grade 3–4 toxicity (published May 2024; URL https://doi.org/10.1007/s00262-024-03698-2) (jin2024theefficacyand pages 1-3).

12.3 Experimental/ongoing trials (ClinicalTrials.gov)

Examples of ongoing/registered immunotherapy trials from retrieved ClinicalTrials.gov records: - NCT04376866 (Phase 3; recruiting): toripalimab + concurrent cisplatin chemoradiotherapy vs chemoradiotherapy alone for locoregionally recurrent NPC; primary outcome overall survival (5-year) (NCT04376866 chunk 1). - NCT05211232: neoadjuvant and adjuvant tislelizumab in stage III–IVA nonkeratinizing NPC; toxicity outcomes include CTCAE v5.0 acute/late radiation toxicity (NCT05211232 chunk 2).

Suggested MAXO treatment action terms (examples; ontology suggestions): - Radiotherapy — MAXO:0000017 (suggested) - Chemotherapy — MAXO:0000010 (suggested) - Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy — MAXO:0001023 (suggested)

13. Prevention

13.1 Primary prevention

No licensed EBV vaccine exists; reviews note this as an unmet need (yoshizaki2023recentadvancesin pages 8-9). Risk-factor modification efforts focus on reducing preserved-food exposures, smoking, and occupational carcinogen exposures (zhang2024globalepidemiologicalprofile pages 1-1, jiang2024recentadvancesin pages 2-5).

13.2 Secondary prevention (screening)

A 2023 expert panel recommended EBV-based screening (serology or plasma EBV DNA) in high- and intermediate-risk regions, with endoscopy and MRI used for assessment of screen-positive individuals (published Feb 2023; URL https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djad012) (lam2023recommendationsforepsteinbarr pages 1-2). The panel reported 1-year screening metrics (Table 1) consistent with high specificity and improved PPV for plasma EBV DNA relative to serology (lam2023recommendationsforepsteinbarr media a09887fa).

14. Other Species / Natural Disease

No evidence for naturally occurring nasopharyngeal carcinoma in non-human species was retrieved in the current tool-based corpus.

15. Model Organisms

A major 2024 advance is the availability of organoid-initiated, orthotopic murine models. Wan et al. reported creation of “the first primary and orthotopic NPC models” from gene-edited nasopharyngeal organoids and used these to establish functional roles for TP53, CDKN2A, TGFBR2, and EBV oncoprotein LMP1 in initiation/progression/metastasis (published Jul 2024; URL https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202403161) (wan2024primaryandorthotopic pages 9-12). They explicitly note the limitation that “it is impossible to directly study EBV infection in mice,” highlighting the need for complementary in vitro/humanized systems (wan2024primaryandorthotopic pages 9-12).

Notes on evidence gaps (transparency)

Within the retrieved corpus, ICD/MeSH/Orphanet identifiers, detailed differential diagnosis lists, and QoL instrument statistics were not directly accessible; these are therefore not asserted and should be filled from dedicated ontology/registry resources in a follow-on curation pass.

References

  1. (OpenTargets Search: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma,Nasopharyngeal cancer): Open Targets Query (Nasopharyngeal carcinoma,Nasopharyngeal cancer, 21 results). Buniello, A. et al. (2025). Open Targets Platform: facilitating therapeutic hypotheses building in drug discovery. Nucleic Acids Research.

  2. (jiang2024recentadvancesin pages 1-2): Wen Jiang, Bohao Zheng, and Hongquan Wei. Recent advances in early detection of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Discover Oncology, Aug 2024. URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12672-024-01242-3, doi:10.1007/s12672-024-01242-3. This article has 18 citations.

  3. (zhou2026shiftingburdenof pages 1-2): Enhui Zhou, Feifei Xu, Tianjiao Zhou, Jingyu Zhang, Fan Song, Jianxiang Li, Hongliang Yi, Qingliang Wang, and Weijun Huang. Shifting burden of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: global patterns and forecasts to 2050 from the gbd 2021. Frontiers in Oncology, Jan 2026. URL: https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2025.1687320, doi:10.3389/fonc.2025.1687320. This article has 1 citations.

  4. (zhang2024globalepidemiologicalprofile pages 1-1): Yuna Zhang, Shanshan Gu, Hongxia Deng, and Zhisen Shen. Global epidemiological profile in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a prediction study. BMJ Open, 14:e091087, Dec 2024. URL: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-091087, doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2024-091087. This article has 27 citations and is from a peer-reviewed journal.

  5. (zhang2024globalepidemiologicalprofile pages 2-3): Yuna Zhang, Shanshan Gu, Hongxia Deng, and Zhisen Shen. Global epidemiological profile in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a prediction study. BMJ Open, 14:e091087, Dec 2024. URL: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-091087, doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2024-091087. This article has 27 citations and is from a peer-reviewed journal.

  6. (zhang2024globalepidemiologicalprofile pages 4-5): Yuna Zhang, Shanshan Gu, Hongxia Deng, and Zhisen Shen. Global epidemiological profile in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a prediction study. BMJ Open, 14:e091087, Dec 2024. URL: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-091087, doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2024-091087. This article has 27 citations and is from a peer-reviewed journal.

  7. (su2023theroleof pages 1-2): Zhi Yi Su, Pui Yan Siak, Chee-Onn Leong, and Shiau-Chuen Cheah. The role of epstein–barr virus in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Frontiers in Microbiology, Feb 2023. URL: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1116143, doi:10.3389/fmicb.2023.1116143. This article has 167 citations and is from a peer-reviewed journal.

  8. (lam2023recommendationsforepsteinbarr pages 4-4): 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, and Allan Hildesheim. Recommendations for epstein-barr virus–based screening for nasopharyngeal cancer in high- and intermediate-risk regions. JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 115:355-364, Feb 2023. URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djad012, doi:10.1093/jnci/djad012. This article has 53 citations.

  9. (lam2023recommendationsforepsteinbarr pages 1-2): 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, and Allan Hildesheim. Recommendations for epstein-barr virus–based screening for nasopharyngeal cancer in high- and intermediate-risk regions. JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 115:355-364, Feb 2023. URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djad012, doi:10.1093/jnci/djad012. This article has 53 citations.

  10. (li2025diagnosticperformanceof pages 2-4): Xue-Qi Li, Dong-Feng Lin, Yu-Cong Cai, Shang-Hang Xie, Ke-Na Lin, Hang-Ning Zhou, Zhi-Cong Wu, Jun-Ping Ye, Yi-Nan Peng, Zheng Ma, Ling Guo, Wei Lin, and Su-Mei Cao. Diagnostic performance of ebv dna load testing for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in nasopharyngeal swab outperforms the approach in other specimens. BMC Cancer, Jul 2025. URL: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-025-14539-5, doi:10.1186/s12885-025-14539-5. This article has 2 citations and is from a peer-reviewed journal.

  11. (xu2024hostgeneticvariants pages 1-3): Miao Xu, Ruimei Feng, Zhonghua Liu, Xiang Zhou, Yanhong Chen, Yulu Cao, Linda Valeri, Zilin Li, Zhiwei Liu, Su-Mei Cao, Qing Liu, Shang-Hang Xie, Ellen T. Chang, Wei-Hua Jia, Jincheng Shen, Youyuan Yao, Yong-Lin Cai, Yuming Zheng, Zhe Zhang, Guangwu Huang, Ingemar Ernberg, Minzhong Tang, Weimin Ye, Hans-Olov Adami, Yi-Xin Zeng, and Xihong Lin. Host genetic variants, epstein-barr virus subtypes, and the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: assessment of interaction and mediation. Cell Genomics, 4:100474, Feb 2024. URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100474, doi:10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100474. This article has 28 citations and is from a peer-reviewed journal.

  12. (xu2024hostgeneticvariants pages 5-6): Miao Xu, Ruimei Feng, Zhonghua Liu, Xiang Zhou, Yanhong Chen, Yulu Cao, Linda Valeri, Zilin Li, Zhiwei Liu, Su-Mei Cao, Qing Liu, Shang-Hang Xie, Ellen T. Chang, Wei-Hua Jia, Jincheng Shen, Youyuan Yao, Yong-Lin Cai, Yuming Zheng, Zhe Zhang, Guangwu Huang, Ingemar Ernberg, Minzhong Tang, Weimin Ye, Hans-Olov Adami, Yi-Xin Zeng, and Xihong Lin. Host genetic variants, epstein-barr virus subtypes, and the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: assessment of interaction and mediation. Cell Genomics, 4:100474, Feb 2024. URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100474, doi:10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100474. This article has 28 citations and is from a peer-reviewed journal.

  13. (xu2024hostgeneticvariants pages 3-4): Miao Xu, Ruimei Feng, Zhonghua Liu, Xiang Zhou, Yanhong Chen, Yulu Cao, Linda Valeri, Zilin Li, Zhiwei Liu, Su-Mei Cao, Qing Liu, Shang-Hang Xie, Ellen T. Chang, Wei-Hua Jia, Jincheng Shen, Youyuan Yao, Yong-Lin Cai, Yuming Zheng, Zhe Zhang, Guangwu Huang, Ingemar Ernberg, Minzhong Tang, Weimin Ye, Hans-Olov Adami, Yi-Xin Zeng, and Xihong Lin. Host genetic variants, epstein-barr virus subtypes, and the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: assessment of interaction and mediation. Cell Genomics, 4:100474, Feb 2024. URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100474, doi:10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100474. This article has 28 citations and is from a peer-reviewed journal.

  14. (wan2024primaryandorthotopic pages 9-12): Xudong Wan, Yuantao Liu, Yiman Peng, Jian Wang, Shu‐mei Yan, Lu Zhang, Wanchun Wu, Lei Zhao, Xuelan Chen, Kexin Ren, Haicheng Long, Yiling Luo, Qin Yan, Lele Zhang, Dengzhi Lei, Pengpeng Liu, Shujun Li, Lihui Liu, Linjie Guo, Jiajia Du, Mengsha Zhang, Siqi Dai, Yi Yang, Hongyu Liu, Nianyong Chen, Jinxin Bei, Lin Feng, Yu Liu, Mu‐sheng Zeng, Chong Chen, and Qian Zhong. Primary and orthotopic murine models of nasopharyngeal carcinoma reveal molecular mechanisms underlying its malignant progression. Advanced Science, Jul 2024. URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202403161, doi:10.1002/advs.202403161. This article has 9 citations and is from a peer-reviewed journal.

  15. (yoshizaki2023recentadvancesin pages 8-9): Tomokazu Yoshizaki, Satoru Kondo, Hirotomo Dochi, Eiji Kobayashi, Harue Mizokami, Shigetaka Komura, and Kazuhira Endo. Recent advances in assessing the clinical implications of epstein-barr virus infection and their application to the diagnosis and treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Microorganisms, 12:14, Dec 2023. URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12010014, doi:10.3390/microorganisms12010014. This article has 18 citations.

  16. (jiang2024recentadvancesin pages 2-5): Wen Jiang, Bohao Zheng, and Hongquan Wei. Recent advances in early detection of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Discover Oncology, Aug 2024. URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12672-024-01242-3, doi:10.1007/s12672-024-01242-3. This article has 18 citations.

  17. (yoshizaki2023recentadvancesin pages 9-11): Tomokazu Yoshizaki, Satoru Kondo, Hirotomo Dochi, Eiji Kobayashi, Harue Mizokami, Shigetaka Komura, and Kazuhira Endo. Recent advances in assessing the clinical implications of epstein-barr virus infection and their application to the diagnosis and treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Microorganisms, 12:14, Dec 2023. URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12010014, doi:10.3390/microorganisms12010014. This article has 18 citations.

  18. (wan2024primaryandorthotopic pages 6-7): Xudong Wan, Yuantao Liu, Yiman Peng, Jian Wang, Shu‐mei Yan, Lu Zhang, Wanchun Wu, Lei Zhao, Xuelan Chen, Kexin Ren, Haicheng Long, Yiling Luo, Qin Yan, Lele Zhang, Dengzhi Lei, Pengpeng Liu, Shujun Li, Lihui Liu, Linjie Guo, Jiajia Du, Mengsha Zhang, Siqi Dai, Yi Yang, Hongyu Liu, Nianyong Chen, Jinxin Bei, Lin Feng, Yu Liu, Mu‐sheng Zeng, Chong Chen, and Qian Zhong. Primary and orthotopic murine models of nasopharyngeal carcinoma reveal molecular mechanisms underlying its malignant progression. Advanced Science, Jul 2024. URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202403161, doi:10.1002/advs.202403161. This article has 9 citations and is from a peer-reviewed journal.

  19. (lam2023recommendationsforepsteinbarr media a09887fa): 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, and Allan Hildesheim. Recommendations for epstein-barr virus–based screening for nasopharyngeal cancer in high- and intermediate-risk regions. JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 115:355-364, Feb 2023. URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djad012, doi:10.1093/jnci/djad012. This article has 53 citations.

  20. (lam2023recommendationsforepsteinbarr pages 9-10): 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, and Allan Hildesheim. Recommendations for epstein-barr virus–based screening for nasopharyngeal cancer in high- and intermediate-risk regions. JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 115:355-364, Feb 2023. URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djad012, doi:10.1093/jnci/djad012. This article has 53 citations.

  21. (jin2024theefficacyand pages 1-3): Ya-Nan Jin, Meng-Yun Qiang, Ying Wang, Yu-Jing Lin, Ren-Wei Jiang, Wan-Wei Cao, Wang-Jian Zhang, Si-Yang Wang, Hong-Yu Zhang, and Ji-Jin Yao. The efficacy and safety of adding pd-1 blockade to induction chemotherapy and concurrent chemoradiotherapy (ic-ccrt) for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: an observational, propensity score-matched analysis. Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy : CII, May 2024. URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00262-024-03698-2, doi:10.1007/s00262-024-03698-2. This article has 20 citations.

  22. (siddiqui2025toripalimabanew pages 1-1): Taha Ahmad Siddiqui, Aamrah Wakil, and Maham Imran. Toripalimab: a new age in fighting nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 75:349-349, Jan 2025. URL: https://doi.org/10.47391/jpma.20757, doi:10.47391/jpma.20757. This article has 1 citations.

  23. (qiu2025efficacysafetyand pages 1-3): Lei Qiu, Qiran Wei, Yachun Hu, Jinling Yuan, Mengxing Wu, Yurong Li, Yuting Xu, Xin Guan, Yuandong Cao, Juan Pu, Zhou Ding, Yinjiao Fei, Weilin Xu, and Shu Zhou. Efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness of chemo-immunotherapy combinations for recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma: an updated systematic review and cost-effectiveness analysis. Translational Cancer Research, 14:7102-7118, Oct 2025. URL: https://doi.org/10.21037/tcr-2025-415, doi:10.21037/tcr-2025-415. This article has 2 citations.

  24. (manoharan2025efficacyandsafety pages 6-7): Sivananthan Manoharan and Lee Ying Ying. Efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors for locoregionally advanced, recurrent and metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a systematic review of phase iii randomised controlled trials. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology, 399:1987-1998, Sep 2025. URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-025-04572-3, doi:10.1007/s00210-025-04572-3. This article has 2 citations.

  25. (NCT04376866 chunk 1): Song Qu. Toripalimab for Local-regional Recurrent Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. Cancer Hospital of Guangxi Medical University. 2020. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04376866

  26. (NCT05211232 chunk 2): Hai-Qiang Mai,MD,PhD. Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Tislelizumab for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. Sun Yat-sen University. 2022. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05211232