Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Research Gordon Research Conference Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a deadly cancer arising in the nasopharynx and has its highest incidence worldwide in Southern Asians. The peak age at diagnosis of this cancer is in the mid-forties, which is about two decades earlier than for many other common cancers. Thus, NPC has a significant socioeconomic impact across Southeast Asia. The etiology of this unique cancer includes three significant co-factors: host genetics, Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) infection, and environmental factors. How these factors contribute to the development of this cancer is the research focus of numerous labs worldwide. This cancer is rare in most parts of the world; however, in parts of Asia, Northern Africa, Greenland, and among Eskimos in Alaska, this is an important cancer. In Hong Kong it is ranked seventh in terms of incidence as well as mortality. Because of the innocuous early symptoms, it usually is not diagnosed until the cancer has progressed to a late stage, when the cancer is harder to cure. Understanding how EBV and aberrations in cell growth and signaling drive normal cells to become metastatic and determining molecular signatures for diagnosis of this cancer and new candidate targets for therapy are expected to improve patient treatment options. The convergence of a virus infection, host genetics, and epidemiological factors, makes this unique cancer a powerful model to dissect out host-virus-environment interactions, providing generic insights into tumor pathogenesis. Studying NPC provides opportunities to address contemporary issues in cancer research (for example, tumor microenvironment, stem cells, epigenetics, and immunotherapy) in the context of a tumor where we have an increasing understanding of the etiological factors. The proposed 2016 Gordon Conference on Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Research is designed to bring the spectrum of basic science and clinical experts in this field together to discuss the current status of the contributions of host genetics, EBV infection, and other environmental factors to the development of this deadly cancer and of the most updated current diagnostic and treatment options. The challenges of treating metastatic disease and current options for novel molecular therapeutics will be among the key topics for discussion. Having a regular meeting series will bring such experts together for several days of intense meetings, as is customary for Gordon Research Conferences, and will support the training of young researchers. This will aid those of us in this field to keep abreast of the recent research findings and focus discussions amongst the international leaders in the field. The outcome of these interactions will facilitate the development of translational research, expediting efforts at making significant advances in basic research and bridging the current gap, which is hampering the ability to translate basic findings into clinically meaningful applications.
Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Research Gordon Research Conference Epstein-Barr virus infections are associated with several human cancers. Studying one of these cancers, namely nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) as a model, will help unravel the dynamics of virus infection, host genetics, and epidemiological factors and to dissect out the host-virus-environment interactions contributing to this deadly cancer. The NPC Gordon Research Conference will bring together needed experts in all these areas in brainstorming discussion sessions which are expected to expedite advances in the field and to translate basic findings into the clinic.
