Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a significant health challenge that is particularly prevalent in Southeast Asia and North Africa. MRI is the preferred diagnostic tool for NPC due to its superior soft tissue contrast. The accurate segmentation of NPC in MRI is crucial for effective treatment planning and prognosis. We conducted a search across PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science from inception up to 20 March 2024, adhering to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Eligibility criteria focused on studies utilizing DL for NPC segmentation in adults via MRI. Data extraction and meta-analysis were conducted to evaluate the performance of DL models, primarily measured by Dice scores. We assessed methodological quality using the CLAIM and QUADAS-2 tools, and statistical analysis was performed using random effects models. The analysis incorporated 17 studies, demonstrating a pooled Dice score of 78% for DL models (95% confidence interval: 74% to 83%), indicating a moderate to high segmentation accuracy by DL models. Significant heterogeneity and publication bias were observed among the included studies. Our findings reveal that DL models, particularly convolutional neural networks, offer moderately accurate NPC segmentation in MRI. This advancement holds the potential for enhancing NPC management, necessitating further research toward integration into clinical practice.

UNASSIGNED: Radiotherapy is a common treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) but can cause radiation-induced temporal lobe injury (RTLI), resulting in irreversible damage. Predicting RTLI at the early stage may help with that issue by personalized adjustment of radiation dose based on the predicted risk. Machine learning (ML) models have recently been used to predict RTLI but their predictive accuracy remains unclear because the reported concordance index (C-index) varied widely from around 0.31 to 0.97. Therefore, a meta-analysis was needed.
UNASSIGNED: The PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception to November 2022. Studies that fully develop one or more ML risk models of RTLI after radiotherapy for NPC were included. The Prediction model Risk Of Bias Assessment Tool (PROBAST) was used to assess the risk of bias in the included research. The primary outcome of this review was the C-index, specificity (Spe), and sensitivity (Sen).
UNASSIGNED: The meta-analysis included 14 studies with 15,573 NPC patients reporting a total of 72 prediction models. Overall, 94.44% of models were found to have a high risk of bias. Radiomics was included in 57 models, dosimetric predictors in 28, and clinical data in 27. The pooled C-index for ML models predicting RTLI was 0.77 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.75-0.79] in the training set and 0.78 (95% CI: 0.75-0.81) in the validation set. The pooled Sen was 0.75 (95% CI: 0.69-0.80) in the training set and 0.70 (95% CI: 0.66-0.73) in the validation set and the pooled Spe was 0.78 (95% CI: 0.73-0.82) in the training set and 0.79 (95% CI: 0.75-0.82) in the validation set. Models with radiomics and clinical data achieved the most excellent discriminative performance, with a pooled C-index of 0.895.
UNASSIGNED: ML models can accurately predict RTLI at an early stage, allowing for timely interventions to prevent further damage. The kind of ML methods and the selection of predictors may influence the predictive accuracy.

UNASSIGNED: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a tumor of the head and neck that arises from the mucosal epithelium of the nasopharynx. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a human herpes virus and the necessary cause for NPC. The 5-year survival rate for NPC patients is higher when diagnosed at an earlier stage of disease. Therefore, NPC screening should be prioritized for early detection. The objective of this narrative review is to synthesize the existing literature from the past decade describing evaluations of EBV-based serological markers for NPC screening.
UNASSIGNED: We performed a literature search in PubMed for studies published from 2010 to 2020. Studies were required to be English-language articles. Twelve articles fulfilled all inclusion criteria, including eight studies conducted among the general population in southeastern China, three studies in genetically high-risk Taiwanese families, and one study comparing EBV serology versus circulating EBV DNA for NPC prediction.
UNASSIGNED: Studies suggest that EBV-based serology has the potential to be an effective tool to aid in early detection of NPC. The synthesized research also collectively suggests that incorporation of antibody against multiple EBV targets, as well as efforts to optimize assay output, can improve the ability of EBV serological markers to detect NPC. Finally, recent data from the only randomized trial provide preliminary evidence that screening using anti-EBV immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibody may achieve the goal of reducing mortality from NPC.
UNASSIGNED: Late diagnosis is one of the reasons for poor survival after an NPC diagnosis. In high-risk areas, early diagnosis aided by EBV antibody could therefore improve survival.

UNASSIGNED: Consumption of processed foods has been associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), but with inconsistent results. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compute results regarding the association between processed foods and risk of NPC in included studies.
UNASSIGNED: Studies exploring the association between consumption of processed food and risk of NPC were included in the present study. All included studies were case-control or cohort designed. PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Medline and Google Scholar databases were searched for articles published before July 2021. We recorded the following data: author, publication year, sample size, study type, study location, years of diagnosis, food item and comparison, and the covariates considered were multivariate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) or relative risks (RRs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the highest vs. lowest categories of processed food intake. STATA 12.0 software was used to compute the multivariate ORs or RRs and 95% CIs of the association. Quality appraisal was made using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool.
UNASSIGNED: A meta-analysis was made for 29 case-control studies (including 14,378 NPC patients and 17,928 controls). The meta-analysis showed that the highest categories of processed food intake were associated with a 65% increase in NPC risk compared with the lowest categories in a random effects model (OR =1.67; 95% CI: 1.56-1.79; P value for Q test <0.001; I2=86.9%). Subgroup study showed significant positive associations regarding consumption of processed food and risk of NPC in both Asians and Caucasians (Asian: OR =1.68, 95% CI: 1.56-1.81; Caucasian: OR =1.36, 95% CI: 1.09-1.71).
UNASSIGNED: The association of processed foods with NPC risk might be significant. Further prospective studies and experimental research are needed to explore this relationship.

Heated debates have been on-going about tea consumption and the incidence of cancer, especially in head and neck cancer types. This study aimed to review the association between tea consumption habits and nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). Methods: This review was carried out in accordance with the PRISMA-P protocol. Literature search for journal articles that published studies on the relationship between tea consumption and NPC was performed via databases, such as Elsevier, PubMed, Science Direct, Springer Link, Google, and Google Scholar, for 10 years from 2008 to 2018. Relevant studies were obtained by applying the pre-determined keywords, such as nasopharyngeal cancer, tea consumption and NPC, risk factors of NPC and benefits of tea consumption. Results: A total of 126 articles was retrieved. These articles were subjected to eligibility assessment. Six articles remained after applying the inclusion criteria. Results suggest that habitual tea consumption reduces NPC. Tea consumption significantly reduces NPC with all the studies having a p-value ≤0.05. Meta-analysis showed statistical association between tea consumption and NPC risk with OR=0.865 at 95% CI (0.806-0.929). Conclusion: This study suggests that habitual tea consumption could be associated with prevention of NPC development. Additional studies are needed to further understand the molecular role of bioactive compound and potential health benefit of tea consumption in NPC prevention.

Recent development of cutting edge research found that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) plays important roles in carcinogenesis and progression. In Southeast Asia and North Africa, nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the most common aggressive squamous cell carcinoma. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is most frequently occurring in males. However, nasopharyngeal carcinoma is caused by a combination of several factors as viral, environmental factors, and heredity. Till now, the potential pathway or mechanism of NPC is not well known. In our present review, we strongly emphasized on long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and its significant role in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. It has been showed that lncRNAs regulate the development and progression of different types of cancers, including NPC. In addition, it has been found that chromatin organization, transcriptional and post-transcriptional events are regulated by lncRNAs. Our present review summarizes the roles of lncRNAs in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and provides an overview of the feasibility of lncRNAs as diagnosis, prognosis and potential treatment for NPC patients.

Current management of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) uses radiotherapy (RT) as the curative treatment modality. Radiation delivery techniques for NPC can be achieved using 2D conventional RT or intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).
A systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature was undertaken to assess the effectiveness of IMRT versus 2D conventional RT in primary treatment of NPC.
IMRT showed better results than 2D conventional RT in terms of local control, regional control, and overall survival, but when stratified, only in T4, N2, and stage III were the differences that were seen. Objective saliva measurements and physician-graded xerostomia were better in IMRT. However, patient-reported xerostomia showed minimal improvement only in IMRT. The evidence of superiority of IMRT over 2D conventional RT is not clear.
In the absence of more clinical data demonstrating the superiority of IMRT in the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, 2D conventional RT seems to be a reasonable treatment option, especially in limited resource settings. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E2130-E2142, 2016.