RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Next-generation sequencing and molecular therapy
JF Clinical Medicine
JO Clin Med
FD Royal College of Physicians
SP 65
OP 69
DO 10.7861/clinmed.2022-0514
VO 23
IS 1
A1 Cienne Morton
A1 Debashis Sarker
A1 Paul Ross
YR 2023
UL http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/23/1/65.abstract
AB Cancers contain a plethora of mutations, few of which are critical to maintaining a state of malignancy. With our ever-expanding understanding of the genomic complexity of cancer, potentially actionable biomarkers whose inhibition could cripple cancer growth are increasingly being elucidated. Modern cancer drug development has largely switched from cytotoxic agents to targeted therapies and immunotherapy, with noteworthy success in several cancer types including non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), breast cancer and melanoma. Next-generation sequencing offers high-throughput, widescale genomic interrogation in a far more efficient and affordable manner than previous sequencing methods. This facilitates detection of potentially actionable mutations and fusions for individual patients and contributes to the identification of novel predictive and prognostic biomarkers in a population. Challenges in the technical aspects of biopsy and sequencing, interpretation, and development of targeted therapies against common genomic aberrations will need to be addressed for personalised medicine to become a reality for more patients with cancer.