Application of next-generation sequencing in the diagnosis of gastric cancer

Objectives: Gastric cancer (GC) is a disease with high mortality, poor prognosis and numerous risk factors. GC has an asymptomatic nature in early stages of the diseases, making timely diagnosis complicated using common conventional approaches, namely pathological examinations and imaging tests. Recently, molecular profiling of GC using next generation sequencing (NGS) has opened new doors to efficient prognostic, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies. The current review aims to thoroughly discuss and compare the current NGS techniques and commercial platforms utilized for GC diagnosis and treatment, highlighting the most recent NGS-based GC studies. Furthermore, this review addresses the challenges of clinical implementation of NGS in GC. Materials and methods: This review was conducted according to the eligible studies identified via search of Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Embase and the Cochrane Library. In the present study, data on gastric cancer patients and NGS methods used to diagnose the disease were reviewed. Conclusion: Given the ever-rising advancements in NGS technologies, bioinformatics, healthcare guidelines and refined classifications, it is hoped that these technologies can actualize their advantages and optimize GC patients' experience.

Automated summary

Gastric cancer is a highly deadly and hard to diagnose disease. The use of next generation sequencing (NGS) techniques provides new opportunities for prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment of gastric cancer. This review discusses and compares current NGS techniques and commercial platforms used for gastric cancer diagnosis and treatment, and highlights the latest NGS-based studies. It also addresses the challenges of implementing NGS in clinical practice for gastric cancer.