Dr. Lee on the Importance of Sequencing in Precision Medicine

Kelvin P. Lee, MD, senior associate dean of Cancer Research, director, IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, H.H. Gregg professor of oncology, member, the Department of Medicine, the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, IU School of Medicine, Indiana University Health, discusses the importance of sequencing in precision medicine.

Every patient and every tumor should be sequenced early in the treatment journey, since it may not be able to be completed down the line, Lee says. Along with informing treatment decisions, sequencing produces information that can aid in better understanding a patient’s cancer, Lee explains. For example, sequencing in patients with lung cancer can better identify targeted therapies that could lead to better responses, Lee adds.

Moreover, sequencing can help clinicians understand how various mutations interact with each other and how they can affect treatment plans, based on the tumor’s dynamic interaction, Lee explains. Further testing will continue to drive the field forward, and early testing can provide oncologists and patients with answers down the line, Lee concludes.