New blood test could help save patients with hard-to-spot type of head and neck cancer, Chinese University says

A breakthrough blood test by Hong Kong scientists could lead to the discovery of a hard-to-detect type of head and neck cancer at a significantly earlier stage, potentially saving lives, Chinese University announced on Thursday.

Researchers, in a study involving 20,000 people, identified a plasma DNA analysis method to catch Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, a leading cause of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a lump at the upper throat behind the nose.

Currently the majority of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients are diagnosed at a late stage without an accurate screening for EBV, resulting in a five-year survival rate of less than 70 per cent for patients at stage three or worse. By detecting the cancer early at stage 1 or 2, the five-year survival rate can be increased to 90 per cent.

“I hope the number of people dying of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in China will drop significantly after the screening is widely available and ultimately make it a rare case to die of this cancer,” the university’s chairman of chemical pathology, Professor Dennis Lo, said.

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Nasopharyngeal cancer is relatively asymptomatic in its earlier stages. At a more advanced stage, symptoms include blood in saliva, hearing loss, frequent ear infections and headaches.

Some 830 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma are recorded in the city every year, making it the 10th most common cancer overall and the sixth most common for men. There are up to 35 cases per 100,000 people among middle-aged males in endemic areas such as Asia.