Understanding molecular landscape of endometrial cancer through next generation sequencing: What we have learned so far?

Abstract

Endometrial cancer (EC) is among the most common gynecological cancers affecting women worldwide. Despite the early detection and rather high overall survival rate, around 20% of the cases recur with poor prognosis. The Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology, also known as massively parallel sequencing, symbolizes a high-throughput, fast, sensitive and accurate way to study the molecular landscape of a cancer and this has indeed revolutionized endometrial cancer research. Understanding the potential, advantages, and limitations of NGS will be crucial for the healthcare providers and scientists in providing the genome-driven care in this era of precision medicine and pharmacogenomics. This mini review aimed to compile and critically summarize the recent findings contributed by NGS technology pertaining to EC. Importantly, we also discussed the potential of this technology for fundamental discovery research, individualized therapy, screening of at-risk individual and early diagnosis.