Value of NGS in Oncology

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.