Abstract

The clinical utility and cost-effectiveness of targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) cancer panel testing to detect somatically acquired single/multiple gene mutations is now established in personalized cancer treatment and management. Targeted gene sequencing not only provides the efficacy of a number of therapeutics targeting the protein products of specific genes but also elucidates the predictive and/or prognostic markers that are altered in human cancer. Also the integration of “Liquid biopsy” using circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as an alternative to invasive solid tumor biopsies plays an important role as surrogate marker for monitoring treatment response, checking tumor burden, monitoring minimal residual disease, and mutations rendering resistant in case of disease progression. Data and clinical case studies will be presented to establish the utility of different molecular diagnostic platforms including multigene testing by NGS and Liquid Biopsy in both early diagnosed and advanced cancer cases and implication of stratifying patients based on their molecular profile that could potentially benefit/not benefit from targeted therapy and chemo-radiation.