Development and analytical validation of a novel nasopharynx swab-based Epstein-Barr virus C promoter methylation quantitative assay for nasopharyngeal carcinoma detection

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) C promoter (Cp) hypermethylation, a crucial factor for EBV latent infection of nasopharyngeal epithelial cells, has been recognized as a promising biomarker for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) detection. In this study, we develop a novel EBV Cp methylation quantification (E-CpMQ) assay and evaluate its diagnostic performance for NPC detection.