Roughly 26% of global cancer incidence and 35% of all cancer-related deaths worldwide are related to gastrointestinal (GI) disease.1 Traditional treatment—consisting of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy—has shown limited efficacy and is accompanied by toxicities that often negatively affect a patient’s quality of life. However, the rise of molecular profiling and next-generation sequencing has allowed investigators to identify and characterize genetic mutations, amplifications, and protein expression, leading to a new era of targeted and personalized therapy for patients with GI cancers. The ability to more accurately profile tumors has led to dramatic increases in survival and quality of life while reducing adverse effects (AEs)— so much so that the American Society of Clinical Oncology has named molecular profiling in GI cancers as its 2021 Advance of the Year.
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