Comparison of Multi-omics Models for Early Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Screening: cfDNA Methylation, EBV DNA, and Serological Double-antibodies Detection (PROFOUND-NPC)

September 1, 2026 updated by: Weiping Wen, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University

Comparison Between Multi-omics Models Including DNA Methylation in cfDNA, Quantitative Determination of Epstein-Barr Virus Nucleic Acid and Serological Double Antibody Detection in Early Screening of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

This study focus on nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a cancer type with Chinese characteristics, analyze the early screening detection performance of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the multi-cancer early screening model, and compare the performance differences among multi-omics models such as nasopharyngeal carcinoma-specific DNA methylation and fragmentome in the multi-cancer early screening model and the clinically routinely conducted Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nucleic acid quantification (EBV DNA) test and serological double antibody (double antibodies of EBNA1-IgA and VCA-IgA) test. It suggests that compared with EBV DNA quantification and double antibody tests, in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, multi-omics models such as DNA methylation can avoid false negatives, improve sensitivity, and increase the detection rate of early-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma; in patients without nasopharyngeal carcinoma, multi-omics models such as DNA methylation can avoid false positives, improve specificity, and avoid unnecessary over-diagnosis.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
700

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • China
    • Guangdong
      • Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, 510000
        • The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Confirmed cancers or individuals without confirmed cancer will be invited to participate in this case-control study by a designated consenting professional.

Description

Inclusion Criteria for Case Arm Participants:

  1. 40-74 years old
  2. Clinically and/or pathologically diagnosed cancer
  3. No prior or undergoing any systemic or local antitumor therapy, including but not limited to surgical resection, radiochemotherapy, endocrinotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, interventional therapy, etc.
  4. Able to provide a written informed consent and willing to comply with all part of the protocol procedures

Exclusion Criteria for Case Arm Participants:

  1. Pregnancy or lactating women
  2. Known prior or current diagnosis of other types of malignancies comorbidities
  3. Severe acute infection (e.g. severe or critical COVID-19, sepsis, etc.) or febrile illness (body temperature of ≥ 38.5 °C) within 14 days prior to screen
  4. Recipients of organ transplant or prior bone marrow transplant or stem cell transplant
  5. Recipients of blood transfusion within 30 days prior to screen
  6. Recipients of therapy in past 14 days prior to screen, including oral or IV antibiotics, glucocorticoid, azacitidine, decitabine, procainamide, hydrazine, arsenic trioxide
  7. Unsuitable for this trial determined by the researchers

Inclusion Criteria for Control Arm Participants:

  1. 40-74 years old
  2. Without confirmed cancer diagnosis
  3. Able to provide a written informed consent and willing to comply with all part of the protocol procedures

Exclusion Criteria for Control Arm Participants:

  1. Pregnancy or lactating women
  2. Known prior or current diagnosis of other types of malignancies comorbidities
  3. Severe acute infection (e.g. severe or critical COVID-19, sepsis, etc.) or febrile illness (body temperature of ≥ 38.5 °C) within 14 days prior to screen
  4. Recipients of organ transplant or prior bone marrow transplant or stem cell transplant
  5. Recipients of blood transfusion within 30 days prior to screen
  6. Recipients of therapy in the past 14 days prior to screen, including oral or IV antibiotics, glucocorticoid, azacitidine, decitabine, procainamide, hydrazine, arsenic trioxide
  7. Unsuitable for this trial determined by the researchers

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Control arm
Participants without a cancer diagnosis after routine cancer screening tests.
Case arm
Participants with newly diagnosed cancer of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
False positive rate and false negative rate of ctDNA Methylation model, EBV DNA quantification test, double antibodies of EBNA1-IgA and VCA-IgA test
Time Frame: 2 year
To analyze the early screening detection performance of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the multi-cancer early screening model, and compare the false positive rate and false negative rate among in the multi-cancer early screening model and the clinically routinely conducted Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nucleic acid quantification (EBV DNA) test and serological double antibody (double antibodies of EBNA1-IgA and VCA-IgA) test.
2 year
Sensitivity and specificity of ctDNA Methylation model, EBV DNA quantification test, double antibodies of EBNA1-IgA and VCA-IgA test in the Screening of nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Time Frame: 2 year
To analyze the early screening detection performance of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the multi-cancer early screening model, and compare the sensitivity and specificity among in the multi-cancer early screening model and the clinically routinely conducted Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nucleic acid quantification (EBV DNA) test and serological double antibody (double antibodies of EBNA1-IgA and VCA-IgA) test.
2 year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Sensitivity and specificity of ctDNA Methylation model, EBV DNA quantification test, double antibodies of EBNA1-IgA and VCA-IgA test in the detection of early-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Time Frame: 2 year
To analyze the early screening detection performance of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the multi-cancer early screening model, and compare the sensitivity and specificity among in the multi-cancer early screening model and the clinically routinely conducted Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nucleic acid quantification (EBV DNA) test and serological double antibody (double antibodies of EBNA1-IgA and VCA-IgA) test in the detection of stage I/II nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
2 year
Modeled positive and negative predictive values of ctDNA Methylation model, EBV DNA quantification test, double antibodies of EBNA1-IgA and VCA-IgA test
Time Frame: 2 year
The difference in positive and negative predictive values was calculated combined with the incidence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and compared among in the multi-cancer early screening model and the clinically routinely conducted Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nucleic acid quantification (EBV DNA) test and serological double antibody (double antibodies of EBNA1-IgA and VCA-IgA) test.
2 year

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Xiangya Hospital of Central South University
First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University
Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University
Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University
First People's Hospital of Foshan
Zhongshan People's Hospital, Guangdong, China
Hainan People's Hospital
People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
December 25, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 30, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
December 21, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 2, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 8, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 2, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 1, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • PROFOUND-NPC

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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