NP Screen™ – The ENT Voice & Snoring Clinic

NP Screen^™

A New Non-invasive Test for detection of Nasopharyngeal Cancer

NP Screen™ is the first FDA-Approved viral genetic test for the detection of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). It is non-invasive and office-based. It is quick, accurate and painless and tests directly at the site where nasopharyngeal cancer develops. With a sensitivity and specificity of 98% and 99% respectively, NP Screen™ excels at the detection of early, small cancers that may be missed by traditional tests or human error.

Nasopharyngeal cancer is a cancer that occurs at an area at the back of the nasal passage called the nasopharynx. As the nasopharynx is located at the very back of the nose, the cancer can develop with no symptoms and is often times diagnosed at late stages. Nasopharyngeal cancer is more common in Southeast Asia and among ethnic Southern Chinese populations. There is a strong genetic component to this disease and is frequently caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).

Nasopharyngeal cancer is frequently diagnosed by a nasoscope and biopsy of the tumour. This is done by an ENT surgeon. However, this often means that the cancer is detected during late stages. So far, blood screening tests have proven unreliable for the screening detection of early cancers.

NP Screen^™

NP Screen™ uses a highly accurate genetic test called a Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (Q-PCR) test to establish if there is EBV DNA present in the cells of your nasopharynx. This is the virus that causes NPC. This allows a very high positive predictive value for the detection of nasopharyngeal cancer. With this test, even early or small cancers that have no symptoms can be detected. An early stage diagnosis provides for much better success rates in treatment outcomes.

A physician or nurse will take a simple, painless swab of the nasopharynx, very much like a COVID-19 swab test. The cells are collected and sent for analysis. If you are worried about nasopharyngeal cancer or have any family members with this disease and are interested in undergoing NP screen testing, make an appointment today to find out.

Get In Touch

Our team is here to answer any questions you might have, and to attend to your appointment requests. For time-sensitive matters, please call us during our clinic hours.