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Published on: October 10, 2025
Somatic mutation profiling of liver and biliary cancer by targeted next generation sequencing
Bo-Lun Zhang1, Xu Ji2, Ling-Xiang Yu2
1Department of General Surgery, Clinical Medical College of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong 261042, P.R. China.
Abstract:
Liver and biliary cancers are highly lethal cancer types lacking effective treatments. The somatic mutations, particularly those with low mutant allele frequencies, in Chinese patients with liver and biliary cancer have not been profiled, and the frequency of patients benefiting from targeted therapy has not been studied. The present study evaluated the tumor tissues of 45 Chinese patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 12 Chinese patients with biliary tract cancer (BTC) by targeted next generation sequencing, with an average coverage of 639×, to identify alterations in 372 cancer-related genes. A total of 263 variants were identified in 139 genes, with 85.6% of these variants not previously reported in the Catalogue Of Somatic Mutations In Cancer database, and the mutation profile was different from the current datasets, including The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset and the National Cancer Center Japan (NCC_JP) dataset. Patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection harbored more mutations than those without HBV infection, and the mutations in HBV carriers occurred preferentially in genes involved in vascular endothelial growth factor signaling pathways. Mutations in fibroblast growth factor and RAS signaling pathways were enriched in patients with cirrhosis, and alterations in interleukin and transforming growth factor signaling pathways were more frequently identified in individuals with abnormal bilirubin expression. Of all the patients, 7% exhibited variants in the target of sorafenib, and 42% harbored variants in the targets of drugs that have been approved to treat other types of cancer. These findings indicate diverse HCC/BTC variants patterns in different populations, and that the mutation load and patterns are correlated with clinical features. Further clinical studies are now warranted to evaluate the efficacies of other targeted drugs besides sorafenib in the treatment of patients with liver and biliary cancer.
Insights
This study profiles somatic mutations in Chinese liver and biliary cancers, revealing unique patterns and correlations with clinical features like hepatitis B virus infection and cirrhosis. Many patients may benefit from targeted therapies beyond sorafenib.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Genomics
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Liver and biliary cancers are lethal with limited treatment options.
- Somatic mutation profiles, especially low-frequency variants, in Chinese patients remain understudied.
- Understanding these mutations is crucial for developing targeted therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To profile somatic mutations in Chinese hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and biliary tract cancer (BTC) patients.
- To identify novel variants and compare mutation profiles with existing datasets.
- To investigate the potential for targeted therapy based on identified mutations.
Main Methods:
- Targeted next-generation sequencing of 372 cancer-related genes.
- Analysis of tumor tissues from 45 HCC and 12 BTC Chinese patients.
- Comparison of mutation profiles with public databases like TCGA and NCC_JP.
Main Results:
- Identified 263 variants in 139 genes, with 85.6% being novel.
- Observed distinct mutation profiles compared to TCGA and NCC_JP datasets.
- Correlated mutation patterns with hepatitis B virus infection, cirrhosis, and abnormal bilirubin levels.
- Found 7% of patients had variants in sorafenib targets and 42% in targets of other approved drugs.
Conclusions:
- Chinese HCC/BTC patients exhibit diverse and population-specific mutation patterns.
- Mutation load and profiles are linked to clinical features.
- A significant proportion of patients may benefit from targeted therapies beyond sorafenib, warranting further clinical investigation.
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