ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the effect of genomic instability on prognostics in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.@*METHODS@#Genomic instability was assessed by inter-simple sequence repeats polymerase chain reaction (inter-SSR PCR) in 38 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Characterization and verification of band alterations shared in different tumors were carried out by sequencing and nest PCR.@*RESULTS@#Thirty-one (81.6%) of the 38 patients showed genomic altercations, and genomic instability index ranged 0 to 16.2 percent. A gain-based genomic damage shared in 6 tumors was identified on chromosome 6q27. Genomic alteration was significantly more in patients less than 5-year survival than those with more than 5-year survival (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Genomic instability can be an early event marker in carcinogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Aggravation of genomic alterations is a poor prognosis for cancer recovery.