Epstein–Barr virus infection and response to radiotherapy in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity

We have retrospectively investigated the presence of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) DNA in 45 cases of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the oral cavity using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We analyzed the association between EBV infection and the clinicopathological characteristics, tumor response to radiotherapy, or prognosis to determine the clinical significance of EBV. EBV DNA was detected in 29 cases (64.4%) of SCCs. No significant differences were observed between the presence or absence of EBV. Our results indicate that EBV infection is not related to tumor response to radiotherapy, or the prognosis of the patients.