Preferable background filtering for next-generation sequencing analysis in non-small cell lung cancer: pericarcinomatous tissues or peripheral blood lymphocytes?

Overview of sample collection and study methodology. Multi-region tumor tissues (e.g., R1–R4) and matched pericarcinomatous tissues (normal tissue) from patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were obtained for deep next-generation sequencing (NGS) using a pan-cancer 1021-gene panel. Matched peripheral blood leucocytes were used as genomic filters. If the somatic genetic alteration was detected in all tissue regions, it was defined as trunk mutation. Otherwise, it was called branch mutatio