How to check for tumor markers in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is familiar to many people today. In the process of treating nasopharyngeal carcinoma, patients should be cautious in treatment. The following editor will introduce to you how to check for tumor markers in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is one of the most common tumors in China, with Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Fujian and other provinces being one of the most common tumors in my country. The incidence rate in men is 2-3 times that in women, and the age group with the highest incidence rate is 40-50 years old.

Since most NPCs are poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas, radiotherapy is the first choice for treatment, and 60Co or linear accelerator high-energy radiotherapy is often used. The 5-year survival rate of radiotherapy is about 45%. Local recurrence and metastasis of NPC after radiotherapy is the main cause of death. Some patients who still have residual local lesions after external irradiation of 60-70Gy can be treated with intracavitary afterloading therapy.

Epstein-Barr virus serological test: The commonly used Epstein-Barr virus capsid antibody IgA/VCA test is a routine screening item; Epstein-Barr virus IgA/EA is more specific for the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma than IgA/VCA antibodies; the monoclonal antibody EDAb to Epstein-Barr virus-specific DNA enzyme can achieve early detection of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

If any or two of the three indicators of IgA/EA, IgA/VCA and EDAb are positive, or one of them is considered a high-risk group, nasopharyngeal fiberoptic endoscopy and biopsy should be performed as soon as possible. EB virus antibody detection is often used as one of the indicators for clinical diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Increased IL-4 and decreased IL-12 and IFNγ levels are related to the cellular immune status of tumor patients and are helpful for the early diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma should be differentiated from other malignant tumors of the nasopharynx such as lymphosarcoma and nasopharyngeal tuberculosis, nasopharyngeal angiofibroma, pharyngeal tonsil hyperplasia and/or infection, parapharyngeal space tumors, cervical and intracranial tumors such as craniopharyngioma, chordoma, and cerebellopontine angle tumors.

Through the above introduction, patients can have a clearer understanding of nasopharyngeal carcinoma tumor marker testing.