Shanmugaratnam K
Ann Acad Med Singap. 1980 Jul;9(3):289-95.
The highest incidence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (around 20 per 100,000 per year) is found in Chinese populations in many countries. Elevated rates (5--15) are found in Eskimos, and in several racial groups in South-East Asia. The incidence rates in Malta and in some parts of Northern Africa are also moderately elevated. The incidence rates are low (less than 1) in virtually all other parts of the world. In Singapore, the incidence rates are high in Chinese (18.4), intermediate in Malays (4.7) and low in Indians (less than 1). Among the various Chinese communities, the incidence rates in Cantonese (29.1 and 11.0 for males and females respectively) are significantly higher than those in Hokkiens (14.1 and 4.7), Teochews (18.3 and 6.2), Hainanese (14.2 and 3.3) and Hakkas (12.6 and 4.8). The tumour has a male preponderance (2--3 times) and a peak incidence in the 5th and 6th decades. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the commonest form of nasopharyngeal cancer in man. All histological types of NPC have consistently shown ultrastructural evidence of squamous differentiation and may be regarded as variants of a homogeneous group of tumours. The development of the neoplasm is attributable to the action of environmental factors in genetically susceptible persons. There is growing evidence that nitrosamine compounds and the Epstein-Barr virus may be involved in the aetiology of this neoplasm.
在许多国家的华人人群中，鼻咽癌的发病率最高（每年约为十万分之二十左右）。爱斯基摩人以及东南亚的几个种族群体的发病率也有所升高（5 - 15）。马耳他和北非部分地区的发病率也有适度升高。在世界几乎所有其他地区，发病率都很低（低于1）。在新加坡，华人的发病率很高（18.4），马来人中等（4.7），印度人很低（低于1）。在各个华人社群中，广东人的发病率（男性和女性分别为29.1和11.0）显著高于福建人（14.1和4.7）、潮州人（18.3和6.2）、海南人（14.2和3.3）以及客家人（12.6和4.8）。该肿瘤男性居多（是女性的2 - 3倍），发病高峰在第五和第六个十年。鼻咽癌是人类最常见的鼻咽癌形式。所有组织学类型的鼻咽癌一直都显示出鳞状分化的超微结构证据，可被视为一组同质肿瘤的变体。肿瘤的发生归因于环境因素对遗传易感人群的作用。越来越多的证据表明，亚硝胺化合物和EB病毒可能与这种肿瘤的病因有关。
