Abstract not available. / Pak Wai Martin. / Adviser: Charles Andrew van Hasselt. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 72-10, Section: B, page: . / Thesis (M.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 245-269). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web.

1. Study on improving the diagnostic accuracy of treatment-naive nasopharyngeal carcinoma. / 2. Study on diagnostic accuracy of EBV-DNA on recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma. / 3. Studies on EBV-DNA as a screening tool for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Part 1. To define the detection rate of NPC and the false-positive rate of IgA-VCA in an IgA-VCA-based screening problem, and to define the specificity of IgA-EA in IgA-VCA-positive screenees. Part 2. To define the specificity of EBV-DNA in IgA-VCA-positive screenees. Part 3. To define the sensitivity of IgA-EA, and EBV-DNA in IgA-positive NPC patients. / 4. Studies on pre-therapy prognostication of nasopharyngeal carcinoma Study Part 1. Objective. To assess the role of EBV-DNA in pre-therapy prognostication of early-stage NPC. / Background. The specific association between nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) had been exploited to develop a spectrum of EBV-antibodies-based blood markers. Among these markers, the Immunoglobulin A antibody against the viral capsid antigen (IgA-VCA) of the EBV has been the most popularly employed marker to assist diagnosis of NPC. There is however a relative paucity of data on the application of blood markers for screening, for detection of relapse, and for prognostification of patient cohorts managed in present-day therapy oncology protocols. Peripheral blood EBV-DNA, measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay, is a newly-developed marker, and represents a prototype model of a nuclei acid-based, as opposed to antibody-based, EBV tumor marker for NPC. The present thesis describes the translation of this basic scientific advance into clinical applications, through several prospective and retrospective studies that address the diagnosis of treatment-naive NPC, the detection of recurrent NPC, the screening of individuals at risk of NPC, the pre-therapy prognostication for NPC to guide for choice of therapy. The role of integration of conventional markers and EBV-DNA in clinical applications was also examined. / Study Part 2. Objectives. To assess whether incorporation of EBV-DNA data to TNM staging improves prognostic discrimination of patients subsets within individual cancer stage, to assess if EBV-DNA is an independent prognostic factor for survival after ontological therapy. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) / Leung Sing-fai. / "February 2005." / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-07, Section: B, page: 3695. / Thesis (M.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / School code: 1307.

(1) MRI is shown to be an accurate test for detecting NPC and one which has the potential to be used in screening to (a) screen out normal patients who do not require endoscopie biopsy; and (b) identify small tumours that would be missed on endoscopy. / (2) At diagnosis staging NPC by MRI reveals that oropharyngeal and maxillary sinus invasion are markers of more advanced disease than reflected in current staging system. Tumour involvement of the preclival/prevertebral region, skull base and retropharyngeal nodes are more common than previously recognised by computed tomography, while parapharyngeal tumour invasion is less common. The latter resuits from the superior ability of MRI to differentiate primary tumours with true parapharyngeal invasion from those contained within the nasopharynx which are causing bowing of the wall or lie adjacent to a retropharyngeal node. / (3) Post treatment complications were detected by MRI in over 50% of patients. Neural damage, especially to the temporal lobes and 12th cranial nerves, was the most frequent complication (48%), followed by osteoradionecrosis (20%) involving the mandible, upper cervical spine and skull base, the latter including destruction of the roof of the nasopharynx. Malignant tumours and unusual benign masses (6%) showed radiological features useful in the differential diagnosis from NPC recurrence. Malignant tumours were mainly squamous cell carcinomas or sarcomas showing a predilection for the maxillary region, tongue and external auditory canal. The unusual benign masses were found in the nasopharynx/sphenoid sinus. / (4) Finally functional MRI using DWI and 1H-MRS are feasible in the technically challenging region of the head and neck. Choline ratios and ADC values of NPC are established. The successful demonstration of differences between the biomarkers of NPC and those of lymphoma and squamous cell carcinoma, show that functional MRI is a new tool for the evaluation of NPC, opening up the possibility that these biomarkers can be used for monitoring NPC treatment response in the future. / Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides excellent anatomical detail and functional information about cancer. This thesis explores the role of MRI in the assessment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) from detection through to the long term complications of radiotherapy treatment. / Ann D King. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-06, Section: B, page: 3468. / Thesis (M.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 180-191). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English only. / School code: 1307.