Innovation in next-generation sequencing in non-small cell lung cancer diagnostics.

Introduction: In the era of precision medicine, molecular biomarker testing is increasingly becoming the standard of care for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) patients. Tissue and liquid biopsy-based Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) is now highly recommended.

Areas Covered: Different NGS platforms emerged as a cost-effective strategy to perform a massive and parallel sequencing performing higher technical sensitivity than old generation technologies in detecting low abundant alterations in challenging diagnostic samples.

Harmonization trial on testing strategies in ER+/HER2- breast cancer patients: an Italian experience.

Aims: To date, activating mutations acts as key player to clinically stratify estrogen receptor (ER)+/HER2-advanced breast cancer (BC) patients eligible to novel new generation oral Selective Estrogen Receptor Degraders (SERD) relapsing after first line aromatase inhibitors. Liquid biopsy represents the most useful biological source to detect activating mutations in clinical setting, but the lack of standardized pre-analytical and analytical procedures drastically impacts on detection rate of mutations in diagnostic specimens. Here, we sought to harmonize technical procedures comparing technical performance of diagnostically available testing strategies on a series of three reference specimens (sample A, B, C) harboring p.

Biologics for novel driver altered non-small cell lung cancer: potential and pitfalls.

Precision medicine has revolutionized clinical paradigm of lung cancer (LC) patients optimizing therapeutical options on the basis of molecular fingerprinting of tumor cells. The advent of the genomic era contributed to the widespread diffusion of sequencing technologies laying the basis for the approval of an increasing number of clinically relevant predictive biomarkers in clinical settings. In the rapidly evolving scenario of predictive biomarkers, mandatory testing genes demonstrated a statistically significant clinical benefit in LC patients elected to molecular tests, but emerging biomarkers are under investigation to raise the bar in the clinical management of LC patients.