Head and Neck Cancer with an Occult Primary Tumor

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Abstract
IN this issue of the Journal, Feinmesser et al.1 report on the use of fine-needle aspiration or open biopsy followed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect viral genomes of the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) in cervical lymph nodes containing nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The EBV genome was not present in positive nodes from patients with various other head and neck cancers, in benign cervical nodes, or in normal tonsils. The authors conclude that the presence of the EBV genome in metastatic squamous-cell carcinoma from an occult primary tumor is predictive of naso-pharyngeal carcinoma.Among patients over 40 years of age . . .