Cell-free DNA and next-generation sequencing in the service of personalized medicine for lung cancer

Abstract

Personalized medicine has emerged as the future of cancer care to ensure that patients receive individualized treatment specific to their needs. In order to provide such care, molecular techniques that enable oncologists to diagnose, treat, and monitor tumors are necessary. In the field of lung cancer, cell free DNA (cfDNA) shows great potential as a less invasive liquid biopsy technique, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) is a promising tool for analysis of tumor mutations. In this review, we outline the evolution of cfDNA and NGS and discuss the progress of using them in a clinical setting for patients with lung cancer. We also present an analysis of the role of cfDNA as a liquid biopsy technique and NGS as an analytical tool in studying EGFR and MET, two frequently mutated genes in lung cancer. Ultimately, we hope that using cfDNA and NGS for cancer diagnosis and treatment will become standard for patients with lung cancer and across the field of oncology.