Dr. Segal on Next-Generation Sequencing for Lung Cancer

Jeremy Segal, MD, PhD, director, Genomic and Molecular Pathology, University of Chicago Medicine, discusses the use of next-generation (NGS) sequencing for patients with lung cancer.

At the University of Chicago, Segal performs a large-scale DNA NGS panel, in which about 1200 genes are sequenced per patient diagnosed with lung cancer. Segal looks for mutations, copy number changes, tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability, and more. Segal reports the mutations from about 155 of those genes to the medical records and uses the remainder for research purposes.

Segal also uses an RNA sequencing assay on patients to see if 2 genes are broken and put together in the wrong way. Those fusions are often found on a large number of genes, according to Segal. Molecular testing is important to perform on patients who are diagnosed with lung cancer, as sometimes there is an abnormality that will affect how treatment for that patient proceeds, concludes Segal.