Pathogenesis and therapeutic implications of EBV-associated epithelial cancers

Front Oncol. 2023 Oct 2:13:1202117. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1202117. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), one of the most common human viruses, has been associated with both lymphoid and epithelial cancers. Undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), EBV associated gastric cancer (EBVaGC) and lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) are amongst the few common epithelial cancers that EBV has been associated with. The pathogenesis of EBV-associated NPC has been well described, however, the same cannot be said for primary pulmonary LELC (PPLELC) owing to the rarity of the cancer. In this review, we outline the pathogenesis of EBV-associated NPC and EBVaGCs and their recent advances. By drawing on similarities between NPC and PPLELC, we then also postulated the pathogenesis of PPLELC. A deeper understanding about the pathogenesis of EBV enables us to postulate the pathogenesis of other EBV associated cancers such as PPLELC.

Keywords: Epstein-Barr virus; lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma; nasopharyngeal cancer; pathogenesis; primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma.

Publication types

  • Review

Grants and funding

The authors declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.