A Genetic Epidemiological Study of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant tumor arising from the epithelial lining of the nasopharynx. It is rare in most parts of the world, but much more common in South East Asia, North Africa and in the Arctic Circle of North America. Among individuals less than 65 years of age, it is the third most prevalent cancer type in Hong Kong, and the second most prevalent in Singapore Chinese. Since the disease mostly affects males in their 40s, the occurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma has a strong social impact in endemic areas. NPC is a complex disease with both environmental and genetic factors playing a role in its development. Suggested risk factors include tobacco, salted fish, domestic fumes, occupational dust and heat, herbal medicine, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) activation, and a familial history of NPC. In this thesis, environmental and genetic factors in the etiology of nasopharyngeal carcinoma are addressed.

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