In an effort to identify genetic factors linked to the development of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC), the researchers identified and sampled 2,394 individuals from Taiwanese families in which two or more relatives had been diagnosed with NPC. Serum from these individuals was tested for three anti-Epstein-Barr virus (EPV) antibodies associated with elevated risk of NPC. Results indicate that apparently healthy individuals from high-risk families have a nearly threefold elevation in their EBV antibody prevalence compared with the general population. However, the clinical implications of this finding are not yet understood.