As genomics-focused pharmacology begins to play a greater role in cancer treatment, next-generation sequencing (NGS) has emerged as a valuable method for obtaining a deeper and more accurate look into the molecular underpinnings of individual tumors. With targeted therapies becoming the new standard of care in oncology, NGS-driven companion diagnostics are widely seen as driving the selection of treatments to optimize patient outcomes in the future.
Compared to traditional methods, NGS offers advantages in accuracy, sensitivity, and speed that has the potential to make a significant impact on the field of oncology. Because NGS can assess multiple genes in a single assay, it eliminates the need to order multiple tests to identify the causative mutation.
This multigene approach decreases the time to answer, providing a more economical solution and reducing the risk of exhausting precious clinical samples. In addition, NGS can provide high sensitivity, enabling the detection of mutations present at as little as 5% of the DNA isolated from a tumor sample.
NGS has the potential to change the future of oncology and advance the promise of personalized medicine. We invite you to learn more by examining the resources collected here.
Learn more about how NGS technology works and the advantages it offers over traditional methods in this in-depth introduction tailored to molecular pathologists.
View Intro for PathologistsJaclyn Hechtman, MD, Associate Attending Pathologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the relevance of RET alterations in non-small cell lung cancer and the pros and cons of different technical approaches to identify RET fusions and single-nucleotide variants.
This next-generation sequencing approach consolidates hundreds of cancer-related biomarkers, including different variant types, into a single assay. Explore the benefits and find out how it compares to other common cancer NGS methods.
Recent years have seen a rapid increase in the number of cancer biomarkers with associated targeted therapies. As the number of biomarkers increases, it is critical to find ways to maximize the ability to match patients with appropriate molecular treatment regimens.
Collaborators at the University of Melbourne and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre developing a liquid biopsy test for cancer of unknown primary
Read articleKey opinion leaders discuss the ongoing challenges and potential of NGS in oncology testing.
Read InterviewHow a 25-year-old diagnosed with Stage IV cancer was matched with a clinical trial and targeted therapy—and, nine years later, is now a dad
Read articleLearn about the growing uses of precision medicine in a broad range of areas, from cancer to genetic risk assessment, pharmacogenomics, reproductive health, and more.
NGS can help clinical cancer researchers estimate TMB, identify neoantigens, and study innovative therapies to boost the immune response.
NGS offers the sensitivity and specificity that clinical researchers need to detect low levels of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the bloodstream.
Explore the benefits of NGS and microarrays for analyzing altered methylation patterns and other epigenetic changes in cancer.