SINGAPORE: On Monday , the Agency for Science, Technology and Research's Genome Institute of Singapore announced a
Science as well as Nature Genetics are two examples of research journals that refer to the disease as Cantonese cancer.A painless lump in the neck is found in nearly 75 per cent of newly diagnosed NPC, the website stated. These include smoking and infection by the Epstein-Barr virus . EBV is associated with NPC development as the virus been found in nearly all NPC cells.Besides being more common among Cantonese people, NPC also affects more men than women.
Lead author of the study, Dr Liu Jian Jun, said the study provided"novel insights into the NPC endemic" and"potentially provides the basis for implementing effective intervention programmes to reduce its incidences". Primary prevention through the development of vaccines against high-NPC-risk EBV strains is expected to greatly reduce the incidence rate of Cantonese Cancer," Prof Ng added.Early nasopharyngeal cancer is treated by radiotherapy, while chemotherapy is sometimes used as part of the treatment.