
Next generation sequencing, or NGS, can be helpful in treating patients who suffer with treatment-resistant cancer, but there’s a second way it can potentially help families impacted by cancer, too. NGS can isolate and identify cancer markers in other family members, predicting who is more at-risk of developing this chronic disease in the future. Because early detection is key to a better outcome, it’s correct to assume next generation sequencing will save millions of people from both the physical pain of cancer and from the emotional toll it takes on entire families. Here’s what we know about how NGS is being used to investigate and treat advanced, or treatment-resistant, cancer.
What Is Next Generation Sequencing?
NGS allows an entire human genome to be completely sequenced within one day. And if you’re wondering why this is such a remarkable feat, you may be surprised to learn the process used to take …