Effectiveness of a multicentre nasopharyngeal carcinoma awareness programme in Indonesia.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) awareness programme on the short-term and long-term improvement of knowledge and referral of patients with NPC by primary healthcare centres (PHCCs) staff in Indonesia. DESIGN: The NPC awareness programme consisted of 12 symposia including a Train-The-Trainer component, containing lectures about early symptoms and risk factors of NPC, practical examination and the referral system for NPC suspects. Before and after training participants completed a questionnaire. The Indonesian Doctors Association accredited all activities. PARTICIPANTS: 1 representative general practitioner (GP) from each PHCC attended an NPC awareness symposium. On the basis of the Train-The-Trainer principle, GPs received training material and were obligated to train their colleagues in the PHCC. RESULTS: 703 GPs attended the symposia and trained 1349 staff members: 314 other GPs, 685 nurses and 350 midwives. After the training, respondents' average score regarding the knowledge of NPC symptoms increased from 47 points (of the 100) to 74 points (p<0.001); this increase was similar between symposium and Train-The-Trainer component (p=0.88). At 1½ years after the training, this knowledge remained significantly increased at 59 points (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The initial results of this NPC awareness programme indicate that the programme effectively increases NPC knowledge in the short and long term and therefore should be continued. Effects of the improved knowledge on the stage at diagnoses of the patients with NPC will still need to be scrutinised. This awareness programme can serve as a blueprint for other cancer types in Indonesia and for other developing countries.

Early detection of nasopharyngeal carcinoma using IgA anti-EBNA1 + VCA-p18 serology assay.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the most common head and neck malignancy in Indonesia. Overall, it ranks fourth in males and sixth in females as the most prevalent type of cancer in that country. The data show that in the year 2011, NPC incidence was considered to be intermediate (6.2/100,000 population per year). Through histopathologic examination, about 70 to 80% of these cases were found to be type III according to the WHO classificaton. NPC carries an excellent prognosis if treated early, but most patients presented with stage III to IV disease, which negatively affected the cure rate and increased the mortality rate. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) IgA serology has been established as an effective marker for NPC. Therefore, biologic markers, DNA, and/or antibody-based diagnosis is needed to decrease NPC cases. A screening program needs to be developed that will identify people at high risk of NPC and those who are in the early stage of the disease. In this study, 20 samples were collected from post-therapy patients. An otolaryngologic examination, histopathology of nasopharyngeal tissue, and blood testing for serologic markers were performed. IgA anti-EBNA1 + VCA-p18 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed positive impact as a tool for confirming the diagnosis of NPC, but it still has to be combined with other specific diagnostic tools for post-therapy monitoring and for determining prognosis.