Take2 Prophecy™ Early Nasopharyngeal Cancer Screening

Details

Who is eligible for NPC screening？

Asymptomatic individuals with a family history or possess high-risk factors of nasopharyngeal cancer

Individuals for routine physical examination

Why should we perform NPC screening？

Nasopharyngeal cancer is an abnormal growth of nasopharyngeal cells and is one of the most common head and neck cancers. The nasopharynx is located in the “covered” space in the centre of the skull, in the back of the nasal cavity and in the upper part of the throat, which is difficult to observe with the naked eye. The early symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer resemble flu or inflammatory illness, and patients may not relate to the signs of early nasopharyngeal cancer, causing a delay in seeking medical treatment. Some patients are diagnosed at a later stage and miss the prime time for treatment. Research data suggest that the number of cancer stages^ is one of the most critical factors affecting the survival rate of nasopharyngeal cancer. The higher the stage, the lower the survival rate. Individuals with a family history of nasopharyngeal cancer or other risk factors should undergo regular screening.

^Cancer staging provides information about the extent of disease spread, usually classified as Stage I to IV or Unstaged. The classification of staging is primarily based on the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) and Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)TNM staging system for most cancer sites.

Causes and risk factors of NPC:

Family history – immediate family members (including parents, siblings and children) with nasopharyngeal cancer

Infection with Epstein-Barr (EB) virus – EB virus infection can cause cytopathic changes in the body leading to cancer

Smoking – has been shown to induce nasopharyngeal cancer in several studies.

FAQs:

Q: Can Take2 Prophecy™ early-stage NPC screening be performed with other health check items?

Ans: Yes. Please consult the healthcare professionals for further details.

Q: Who is not suitable for Take2 Prophecy™ early-stage NPC screening?

Ans: This screening test is not recommended for those who have undergone organ transplants, possess other cancers or autoimmune diseases, and those who are receiving systemic glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive therapy. For details, please consult your healthcare provider.

Q: What is the “sensitivity” in diseasing screening?

Ans: Sensitivity refers to the proportion of patients with NPC being correctly identified by a positive detection result. Therefore, the higher the test’s sensitivity, the lower the chance of missing the diseased ones in the screened population, which means the test is more reliable.

Ref:

1. Lam, W. K. Jacky, et al. “Sequencing-Based Counting and Size Profiling of Plasma Epstein-Barr Virus DNA Enhance Population Screening of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 115, no. 22, 2018, pp. E5115-24.

2. Chan, K. C. Allen, et al. “Analysis of Plasma Epstein-Barr Virus DNA to Screen for Nasopharyngeal Cancer.” New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 377, no. 6, 2017, pp. 513-22.