Nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Accra

Abstract

A higher prevalence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) among Ghanaian children, adolescents and young adults is demonstrated in this study. In view of the known association between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and NPC on the one hand, and the virus and Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) on the other, it is suggested that the occurrence of both malignancies in younger subjects in this study points to the possible role of early infection with EBV in the aetiopathogenesis of NPC.