Plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA as a biomarker for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is common in southern China and Southeast Asia. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is an important etiology for NPC, and EBV genome can be detected in almost all tumor tissues of NPC in this region. Plasma EBV DNA, when quantitatively analyzed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), has been developed as a biomarker for NPC. In this review, the different clinical applications of plasma EBV DNA in the management of NPC, including screening, monitoring, and prognostication, are discussed. In addition, the biological issues of circulating EBV DNA, including the molecular nature and clearance kinetics, are also explored.