Brief Report: Clinical Outcomes Using Plasma-Based Molecular Profiling to Guide Treatment Decisions in Patients With Advanced NSCLC and Limited Access to Broad Tissue Testing

•Plasma-based next-generation sequencing can potentially identify additional driver alterations in patients with NSCLC compared to single-gene testing for EGFR, ALK and ROS1; this can be relevant when there is limited tissue for molecular profiling or if tissue biopsy is not feasible. •The identification of driver alterations in plasma helps NSCLC patients to be treated with matched targeted therapy, which eventually might lead to better outcomes. •Further studies exploring the cost-effectiveness of complementary liquid biopsy in addition to tissue genotyping are warranted, as well as novel strategies such as a tissue-sparing, plasma-first approach. •Timely and equitable access to targeted therapies will also be critical to translate research in precision medicine into improved patient care. •Plasma-based next-generation sequencing can potentially identify additional driver alterations in patients with NSCLC compared to single-gene testing for EGFR, ALK and ROS1; this can be relevant when there is limited tissue for molecular profiling or if tissue biopsy is not feasible. •The identification of driver alterations in plasma helps NSCLC patients to be treated with matched targeted therapy, which eventually might lead to better outcomes. •Further studies exploring the cost-effectiveness of complementary liquid biopsy in addition to tissue genotyping are warranted, as well as novel strategies such as a tissue-sparing, plasma-first approach. •Timely and equitable access to targeted therapies will also be critical to translate research in precision medicine into improved patient care.