Given the role of BIRC5 in the development of NPC, together with the earlier described functional relevance of -31C/G in modulation of BIRC5 expression, one might expect that individuals who carry the -31 CC genotypes, and thus have increased expression of BIRC5 and subsequently increased anti-apoptotic function, may be at a higher susceptibility to developing NPC. Here, BIRC5 is linked to nasopharyngeal carcinoma.