Purpose
Little is known about combination of the circulating Epstein-Barr viral (EBV) DNA and tumor volume in prognosis of stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients in the intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) era. We conducted this cohort study to evaluate the prognostic values of combining these two factors.
Materials and Methods
By Kaplan-Meier, we compare the differences of survival curves between 385 patients with different EBV DNA or tumor volume levels, or with the combination of two biomarkers mentioned above.
Results
Gross tumor volume of cervical lymph nodes (GTVnd, p < 0.001) and total tumor volume (GTVtotal, p < 0.001) were both closely related to pretreatment EBV DNA, while gross tumor volume of nasopharynx (GTVnx, p=0.047) was weakly related to EBV DNA. EBV DNA was significantly correlated with progress-free survival (PFS, p=0.005), locoregional-free survival (LRFS, p=0.039), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS, p=0.017), while GTVtotal, regardless of GTVnx and GTVnd, had a significant correlation with PFS and LRFS. The p-values of GTVtotal for PFS and LRFS were 0.008 and 0.001, respectively. According to GTVtotal and pretreatment EBV DNA level, patients were divided into a low-risk group (EBV DNA 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal < 30 cm3; EBV DNA 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal ≥ 30 cm3; or EBV DNA > 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal < 30 cm3) and a high-risk group (EBV DNA > 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal ≥ 30 cm3). When patients in the low-risk group were compared with those in the high-risk group, 3-year PFS (p=0.003), LRFS (p=0.010), and DMFS (p=0.031) rates were statistically significant.
Conclusion
Pretreatment plasma EBV DNA and tumor volume were both closely correlated with prognosis of stage II NPC patients in the IMRT era. Combination of EBV DNA and tumor volume can refine prognosis and indicate for clinical therapy.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Efficacy and prognostic analysis of induction chemoimmunotherapy in unresectable stage Ⅲ non–small cell lung cancer: a single-center retrospective study Xia Gan, Zhengzheng Yu, Lin Zhang, Wenji Xie, Xiaowen Sun, Yue Li, Jianing Fang, Yanxian Li, Yating Liu, Zhongjie Liu, Yaning Tang, Can Zhou, Zhuolong Xie, Wen Yao, Shuyu Ouyang, Jing Zhang, Pan Chen, Hui Wang, Huai Liu Lung Cancer.2026; 220: 109578. CrossRef
Threshold Validity of N3 Criteria in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Narrative Methodological Review of Pragmatic Cutoffs and Biologically Defensible Risk Boundaries Erkan Topkan, Efsun Somay, Melis Selek, Ugur Selek Clinics and Practice.2026; 16(8): 156. CrossRef
A prognostic and predictive model based on deep learning to identify optimal candidates for intensity-modulated radiotherapy alone in patients with stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A retrospective multicenter study Jiong-Lin Liang, Yue-Feng Wen, Ying-Ping Huang, Jia Guo, Yun He, Hong-Wei Xing, Ling Guo, Hai-Qiang Mai, Qi Yang Radiotherapy and Oncology.2025; 203: 110660. CrossRef
Risk stratification of LA‐NPC during chemoradiotherapy based on clinical classification and TVRR Qianlong Tang, Chaorong Mei, Bei Huang, Rui Huang, Le Kang, Ailin Chen, Na lei, Pengcheng Deng, Shouyan Ying, Peng Zhang, Yuan Qin Cancer Medicine.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
A radiogenomic clinical decision support system to inform individualized treatment in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma Xue-Liang Fang, Lian-Zhen Zhong, Wei Jiang, Cheng-Long Huang, Yuan Lei, Si-Qi Tang, Qing-Jie Li, Li-Zhi Liu, Li Tian, Ying-Qin Li, Yu-Pei Chen, Li Lin, Rui Guo, Wen-Fei Li, Jie Tian, Na Liu, Di Dong, Jun Ma, Ling-Long Tang iScience.2024; 27(8): 110431. CrossRef
Epstein–Barr virus DNA change level combined with tumor volume reduction ratio after inductive chemotherapy as a better prognostic predictor in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma Zhong‐zheng Xiang, Tao He, Yuan‐yuan Zeng, Fang Liu, Bian‐fei Shao, Tian Yang, Jia‐chun Ma, Xi‐ran Wang, Si‐ting Yu, Lei Liu Cancer Medicine.2023; 12(2): 1102. CrossRef
A prognostic nomogram incorporating tumor size and lymph node size for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma Qi Yi, Jiazuo Cai, Yunen Lin, Zimei Hu, Jie Lin, Zhong Huang, Wei Liu, Ronghui Zheng, YaWei Yuan, Chengcong Chen American Journal of Otolaryngology.2023; 44(2): 103717. CrossRef
Tumor volume reduction after induction chemotherapy with gemcitabine plus cisplatin in nasopharyngeal carcinoma Qian Chen, Liangfang Shen, Shan Li European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology.2023; 280(5): 2497. CrossRef
High proportion of circulating CD8 + CD28- senescent T cells is an independent predictor of distant metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiotherapy Xiaotian Xu, Fangze Wei, Lin Xiao, Runye Wu, Baojun Wei, Shengkai Huang, Junlin Yi, Wei Cui Journal of Translational Medicine.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
MRI-based deep learning model predicts distant metastasis and chemotherapy benefit in stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma Yu-Jun Hu, Lin Zhang, You-Ping Xiao, Tian-Zhu Lu, Qiao-Juan Guo, Shao-Jun Lin, Lan Liu, Yun-Bin Chen, Zi-Lu Huang, Ya Liu, Yong Su, Li-Zhi Liu, Xiao-Chang Gong, Jian-Ji Pan, Jin-Gao Li, Yun-Fei Xia iScience.2023; 26(6): 106932. CrossRef
The influence of tumor volume on the risk of distant metastases in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas Julie Kjems, Katrin Elisabet Håkansson, Claus Andrup Kristensen, Jesper Grau Eriksen, Morten Horsholt Kristensen, Anne Ivalu Sander Holm, Jens Overgaard, Christian Rønn Hansen, Ruta Zukauskaite, Jørgen Johansen, Ivan Richter Vogelius, Jeppe Friborg Radiotherapy and Oncology.2023; 186: 109771. CrossRef
The value of integrating tumor volume and plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA load during sequential chemoradiotherapy for prognostic prediction and therapeutic guidance in high-risk locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma Gaoyuan Wang, Zhe Dong, Chenglong Huang, Xiaojing Du, Lin Chen, Kunpeng Li, Rui Guo, Linglong Tang, Jun Ma Oral Oncology.2023; 145: 106500. CrossRef
Clinical Significance of Baseline Epstein–Barr Virus DNA for Recurrent or Metastatic Primary Pulmonary Lymphoepithelioma-Like Carcinoma Qihua Zou, Kongjia Luo, Liping Kang, Caiwen Huang, Jianliang Mai, Yongbin Lin, Ying Liang Future Oncology.2023; 19(37): 2481. CrossRef
Predictive Value of ERCC1 mRNA Level from Receiver-Operator Characteristic and Pretreatment EBV-DNA Virus Load in Stage II Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients Receiving Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy with Concurrent Cisplatin Li Hua, Shaojun Chen, Mengzhuan Wei, Yongqi Shen, Jianxin Long, Zhan Lin, Yiliang Meng, Chengxian Guo, Haixin Huang, Xiaoning Tu, Min Yao Cancer Biotherapy and Radiopharmaceuticals.2022; 37(1): 2. CrossRef
Development and prospective validation of a risk score model in guiding individualized concurrent chemoradiotherapy in stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma in intensity‐modulated radiotherapy era Shan‐Shan Yang, Ya‐Jun Pang, Zhi‐Qiang Wang, Bao‐Yu Zhang, Zhi‐Qiao Liu, En‐Ni Chen, Pu‐Yun OuYang, Fang‐Yun Xie Cancer Medicine.2022; 11(4): 1109. CrossRef
Combined Association of Tumoral PD-L1 Expression and Pretreatment Presence of Epstein-Barr Virus DNA With Risk Stratification and Prognosis of Patients With Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Xiaoyu Li, Xingchen Peng, Sha Zhao, Hong Zhang, Yong Jiang, Fei Liu, Ping Ai Frontiers in Oncology.2022;[Epub] CrossRef
Nomogram for distant metastasis-free survival in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma Huiyun Yang, Rongjun Zhang, Ruyun Zhang, Bin Zhang, Yuan Xie, Guanjie Qin, Yunyan Mo, Xiaolan Ruan, Wei Jiang Strahlentherapie und Onkologie.2022; 198(9): 828. CrossRef
Survival among subgroups of patients with stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma Shi-Ting Huang, Dan-Ke Su Scientific Reports.2022;[Epub] CrossRef
Liquid Biopsy in Head and Neck Cancer: Current Evidence and Future Perspective on Squamous Cell, Salivary Gland, Paranasal Sinus and Nasopharyngeal Cancers Santiago Cabezas-Camarero, Pedro Pérez-Segura Cancers.2022; 14(12): 2858. CrossRef
Clinical relevance of blood-based ctDNA analysis: mutation detection and beyond Laura Keller, Yassine Belloum, Harriet Wikman, Klaus Pantel British Journal of Cancer.2021; 124(2): 345. CrossRef
Treatment Deescalation Strategies for Nasopharyngeal Cancer Anna Lee, James C. H. Chow, Nancy Y. Lee JAMA Oncology.2021; 7(3): 445. CrossRef
Clinical and survival analysis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma with consistently negative Epstein–Barr virus DNA Zhi‐Gong Wei, Xiao‐Lin Hu, Yan He, Hui Guan, Jing‐Jing Wang, Ling He, Xiao‐Li Mu, Zhe‐Ran Liu, Rui‐Dan Li, Xing‐Chen Peng Head & Neck.2021; 43(5): 1465. CrossRef
Accumulation of LOX-1+ PMN-MDSCs in nasopharyngeal carcinoma survivors with chronic hepatitis B might permit immune tolerance to epstein–barr virus and relate to tumor recurrence Xing Li, Jin-Long Li, Nan Jiang, Jie Chen, Zi-Ming Liang, Zhen-Lin Zhao, Yan-Fang Xing Aging.2021; 13(1): 437. CrossRef
A systematic review and recommendations on the use of plasma EBV DNA for nasopharyngeal carcinoma Anne W.M. Lee, Victor H.F. Lee, Wai-Tong Ng, Primož Strojan, Nabil F. Saba, Alessandra Rinaldo, Stefan M. Willems, Juan P. Rodrigo, Arlene A. Forastiere, Alfio Ferlito European Journal of Cancer.2021; 153: 109. CrossRef
Establishment of a Prognostic Nomogram for Patients With Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Incorporating TNM Stage, Post-Induction Chemotherapy Tumor Volume and Epstein-Barr Virus DNA Load Yu-Ting Jiang, Kai-Hua Chen, Jie Yang, Zhong-Guo Liang, Song Qu, Ling Li, Xiao-Dong Zhu Frontiers in Oncology.2021;[Epub] CrossRef
Metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: What we know and do not know Ling-Ling Guo, Hai-Yun Wang, Li-Sheng Zheng, Ming-Dian Wang, Yun Cao, Yang Li, Zhi-Jie Liu, Li-Xia Peng, Bi-Jun Huang, Jian-Yong Shao, Chao-Nan Qian Visualized Cancer Medicine.2021; 2: 4. CrossRef
Prognostic Factors for Overall Survival in Nasopharyngeal Cancer and Implication for TNM Staging by UICC: A Systematic Review of the Literature Chi Leung Chiang, Qiaojuan Guo, Wai Tong Ng, Shaojun Lin, Tiffany Sze Wai Ma, Zhiyuan Xu, Youping Xiao, Jishi Li, Tianzhu Lu, Horace Cheuk Wai Choi, Wenqi Chen, Eric Sze Chun Chau, Peter Ho Yin Luk, Shao Hui Huang, Brian O’Sullivan, Jianji Pan, Anne Wing Frontiers in Oncology.2021;[Epub] CrossRef
External Validation of a Nomogram to Predict Survival and Benefit of Concurrent Chemoradiation for Stage II Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Pui-Lam Yip, Shing-Fung Lee, Cheuk-Wai Horace Choi, Po-Chung Sunny Chan, Ka-Wai Alice Cheung, Chung-Hang James Chow, Ka-Man Cheung, Wing-Yu Jessica Lai, Ho-Fun Victor Lee, Ka-On Lam, Chi-Leung Chiang, Chun-Yin Edwin Wong, Ming-Chun Darren Poon, Macy Tong, Cancers.2021; 13(17): 4286. CrossRef
The efficacy of chemotherapy in survival of stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma Xin-Bin Pan, Ling Li, Song Qu, Long Chen, Shi-Xiong Liang, Xiao-Dong Zhu Oral Oncology.2020; 101: 104520. CrossRef
Usefulness of Hybrid PET/MRI in Clinical Evaluation of Head and Neck Cancer Patients Natalia Samolyk-Kogaczewska, Ewa Sierko, Dorota Dziemianczyk-Pakiela, Klaudia Beata Nowaszewska, Malgorzata Lukasik, Joanna Reszec Cancers.2020; 12(2): 511. CrossRef
Prognostic efficacy of extensive invasion of primary tumor volume for T3-4 nasopharyngeal carcinoma receiving intensity-modulated radiotherapy Fen Xue, Dan Ou, Xiaomin Ou, Xin Zhou, Chaosu Hu, Xiayun He Oral Oncology.2020; 100: 104478. CrossRef
Establishment and validation of a nomogram for predicting the benefit of concurrent chemotherapy in stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A study based on a phase III randomized clinical trial with 10-year follow-up Xue-Song Sun, Xiao-Yun Li, Bei-Bei Xiao, Sai-Lan Liu, Qiu-Yan Chen, Lin-Quan Tang, Hai-Qiang Mai Oral Oncology.2020; 100: 104490. CrossRef
Metastatic disease in head & neck oncology Paolo Pisani, Mario Airoldi, Anastasia Allais, Paolo Aluffi Valletti, Mariapina Battista, Marco Benazzo, Roberto Briatore, Salvatore Cacciola, Salvatore Cocuzza, Andrea Colombo, Bice Conti, Alberto Costanzo, Laura della Vecchia, Nerina Denaro, Cesare Fant Acta Otorhinolaryngologica Italica.2020; 40(SUPPL. 1): S1. CrossRef
BHRF1 Enhances EBV Mediated Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Tumorigenesis through Modulating Mitophagy Associated with Mitochondrial Membrane Permeabilization Transition Shujie Song, Zhiying Jiang, David Ethan Spezia-Lindner, Ting Liang, Chang Xu, Haifeng Wang, Ye Tian, Yidong Bai Cells.2020; 9(5): 1158. CrossRef
Predictive Value of CD8 Expression and FoxP3 Methylation in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients Treated with Chemoradiotherapy in a Non-endemic Area E. Muraro, E. Vaccher, C. Furlan, E. Fratta, G. Fanetti, D. A. Fae’, D. Martorelli, M. Cangemi, J. Polesel, F. Navarria, C. Gobitti, E. Comaro, C. Scaini, C. Pratesi, S. Zanussi, V. Lupato, G. Grando, V. Giacomarra, S. Sulfaro, L. Barzan, R. Dolcetti, A. Pathology & Oncology Research.2020; 26(4): 2459. CrossRef
Prognostic Value of Programmed Cell Death-Ligand 1 Expression in Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes and Viral Load in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells for Epstein–Barr Virus–Positive Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Bin Hu, Ming Sun, Zijin Wang, Yanping Zheng, Weifeng Cai, Helen Hsiao-Hsing Shi, Yanzhen Zhuang, Qin Lin Clinical Chemistry.2020; 66(9): 1219. CrossRef
Molecular Prognostic Value of Circulating Epstein–Barr Viral DNA in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis of 27,235 Cases in the Endemic Area of Southeast Asia Xulin Xie, Yupei Ren, Kun Wang, Bin Yi Genetic Testing and Molecular Biomarkers.2019; 23(7): 448. CrossRef
Dynamic changes in plasma Epstein–Barr virus DNA load during treatment have prognostic value in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a retrospective study Sha‐Sha He, Yan Wang, Yong Bao, Xiu‐Yu Cai, Xing‐Li Yang, Dan‐Ming Chen, Yong Chen, Li‐Xia Lu Cancer Medicine.2018; 7(4): 1110. CrossRef
Impact of paranasal sinus invasion on advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with intensity‐modulated radiation therapy: the validity of advanced T stage of AJCC/UICC eighth edition staging system Ying Wang, Jie Zhao, Yajie Zhao, Zhen Yang, Mingjun Lei, Zhanzhan Li, Rui Wei, Dengming Chen, Yuxiang He, Liangfang Shen Cancer Medicine.2018; 7(7): 2826. CrossRef
Impact of age on survival of locoregional nasopharyngeal carcinoma: An analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program database, 2004‐2013 S.‐J. Huang, Y.‐Y. Tang, H.‐M. Liu, G.‐X. Tan, X. Wang, H. Zhang, F. Yang, S. Yang Clinical Otolaryngology.2018; 43(5): 1209. CrossRef
Relationship between pretreatment concentration of plasma Epstein‐Barr virus DNA and tumor burden in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: An updated interpretation Liang Peng, Yi Yang, Rui Guo, Yan‐Ping Mao, Cheng Xu, Yu‐Pei Chen, Ying Sun, Jun Ma, Ling‐Long Tang Cancer Medicine.2018; 7(12): 5988. CrossRef
Purpose
The measuring Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA is an important predictor of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This study evaluated the predictive value of pretreatment serum amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) comparing with EBV DNA in patients with NPC.
Materials and Methods
In an observational study of 419 non-metastatic NPC patients, we prospectively evaluated the prognostic effects of pretreatment SAA, CRP, and EBV DNA on survival. The primary endpoint was progress-free survival (PFS).
Results
The median level of SAA and CRP was 4.28 mg/L and 1.88 mg/L, respectively. For the highSAA group (> 4.28 mg/L) versus the low-SAA (≤ 4.28 mg/L) group and the high-CRP group (> 1.88 mg/L) versus the low-CRP (≤ 1.88 mg/L) group, the 5-year PFS was 64.5% versus 73.1% (p=0.013) and 65.2% versus 73.3% (p=0.064), respectively. EBV DNA detection showed a superior predictive result, the 5-year PFS in the EBV DNA ≥ 1,500 copies/mL group was obviously different than the EBV DNA < 1,500 copies/mL group (62.2% versus 77.8%, p < 0.001). Multifactorial Cox regression analysis confirmed that in the PFS, the independent prognostic factors were including EBV DNA (hazard ratio [HR], 1.788; p=0.009), tumour stage (HR, 1.903; p=0.021), and node stage (HR, 1.498; p=0.049), but the SAA and CRP were not included in the independent prognostic factors.
Conclusion
The results of SAA and CRP had a certain relationship with the prognosis of NPC, and the prognosis of patients with high level of SAA and CRP were poor. However, the predictive ability of SAA and CRP was lower than that of EBV DNA.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Serum amyloid A kinetics predicts outcomes to PD-1 inhibitors in patients with recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma Zhiting Sun, Dafeng Lin, Yingjun Liu, Suchen Li, Jiamin chen, Shiqing Nie, Yan Zhang, Shenwen Deng, Haoxiang Long, Li Yuan, Linquan Tang, Wenhui Chen, Jianfu Zhao BMC Cancer.2026;[Epub] CrossRef
Development and application of a serious adverse events risk model for concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma Jiahui Li, Qianwen Liu, Huiying Qin Medicine.2024; 103(34): e39377. CrossRef
Selection of induction chemotherapy cycles for stage N3 nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on pre-treatment plasma EBV DNA Youliang Weng, Sunqin Cai, Chao Li, Yun Xu, Yuhui Pan, Zongwei Huang, Ying Li, Zijie Wu, Yu Chen, Sufang Qiu Scientific Reports.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Maintenance therapy improves the survival outcomes of patients with metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma responding to first-line chemotherapy: a multicentre, randomized controlled clinical study Ying Lu, Haixin Huang, Hui Yang, Xiaohua Hu, Meilian Liu, Changjie Huang, Xianbin Feng, Xishan Chen, Zhou Jiang Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology.2023; 149(8): 4327. CrossRef
Association of Epstein–Barr virus DNA and SAA with S1 maintenance therapy outcomes in patients with metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma Ying Lu, Zhou Jiang, Huan Lin, Hui Yang, Xishan Chen, Haixin Huang Future Oncology.2022; 18(22): 2441. CrossRef
Long‐term monitoring of dynamic changes in plasma EBV DNA for improved prognosis prediction of nasopharyngeal carcinoma Wanxia Li, Jing Chen, Bijun Liang, Zonghua Li, Junzheng Li, Xiaofei Yuan, Shuting Wu, Fangfang Zeng, Xinyu Peng, Yanfei Li, Juan Lu, Feipeng Zhao, Xiong Liu Cancer Medicine.2021; 10(3): 883. CrossRef
A systematic review and recommendations on the use of plasma EBV DNA for nasopharyngeal carcinoma Anne W.M. Lee, Victor H.F. Lee, Wai-Tong Ng, Primož Strojan, Nabil F. Saba, Alessandra Rinaldo, Stefan M. Willems, Juan P. Rodrigo, Arlene A. Forastiere, Alfio Ferlito European Journal of Cancer.2021; 153: 109. CrossRef
Prognostic value of Epstein–Barr virus DNA level for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a meta-analysis of 8128 cases Hongling Qu, Yuli Huang, Shufen Zhao, Yuanqing Zhou, Weibiao Lv European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology.2020; 277(1): 9. CrossRef
The prognostic value of integration of pretreatment serum amyloid A (SAA)–EBV DNA (S‐D) grade in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma Jianpei Li, Changchun Lai, Songguo Peng, Hao Chen, Lei Zhou, Yufeng Chen, Shulin Chen Clinical and Translational Medicine.2020;[Epub] CrossRef
Utility of a Simple Scoring System in Differentiating Bacterial Infections in Cases of Fever of Unknown Origin Teng Xu, Li Wang, Shi Wu, Fenfen Zhou, Haihui Huang Clinical Infectious Diseases.2020; 71(Supplement): S409. CrossRef
The prognostic value of serum amyloid A in solid tumors: a meta-analysis Hai-yingjie Lin, Guo-qiang Tan, Yan Liu, Shao-qiang Lin Cancer Cell International.2019;[Epub] CrossRef
Molecular Prognostic Value of Circulating Epstein–Barr Viral DNA in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis of 27,235 Cases in the Endemic Area of Southeast Asia Xulin Xie, Yupei Ren, Kun Wang, Bin Yi Genetic Testing and Molecular Biomarkers.2019; 23(7): 448. CrossRef