The application of detection of plasma Epstein–Barr virus DNA in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Epstein-Barr virus(EBV) is closely related to the occurrence and development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.The quantitative detection of Epstein–Barr virus DNA(EBV DNA) in plasma from the patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma using the polymerase chain reaction(PCR)-based strategies can effectively evaluate the response to treatments and predict the risk of recurrence and metastasis.The pre-treatment EBV DNA base line is in accordance with the tumor load,and the post-treatment EBV DNA levels can predict the recurrence and metastasis of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma.It would be a new tumor-maker.This article briefly reviewed the application of plasma EBV DNA from different phases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients in the diagnosis,evaluation,monitoring and prognosis-prediction.