Precision oncology through next generation sequencing in hepatocellular carcinoma

Sayali Shinde; Carola Maria Bigogno; Ana Simmons; Nikita Kathuria; Aruni Ghose; Vedika Apte; Patricia Lapitan; Shania Makker; Aydin Caglayan; Stergios Boussios

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e42054

Precision oncology through next generation sequencing in hepatocellular carcinoma

Heliyon. 2025 Jan 17;11(3):e42054. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e42054. eCollection 2025 Feb 15.

Authors

Sayali Shinde¹, Carola Maria Bigogno^{2

3}, Ana Simmons^{4

5}, Nikita Kathuria⁶, Aruni Ghose^{2

7

8}, Vedika Apte^{9

10}, Patricia Lapitan^{11

12

13}, Shania Makker^{13

14

15}, Aydin Caglayan⁷, Stergios Boussios^{7

16

17

18

19}

Affiliations

¹ Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Cancer Research UK Barts Centre, London, UK.
² Department of Medical Oncology, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK.
³ British Oncology Network for Undergraduate Societies (BONUS), UK.
⁴ Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
⁵ QIAGEN Manchester, Manchester, UK.
⁶ Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.
⁷ Department of Medical Oncology, Medway NHS Foundation Trust, Kent, UK.
⁸ Department of Medical Oncology, Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, London, UK.
⁹ University College London Medical School, London, UK.
¹⁰ University College London Oncology Society, London, UK.
¹¹ School of Medical Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
¹² Division of Genetics and Epidemiology, The Institute of Cancer Research, Surrey, UK.
¹³ University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK.
¹⁴ Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
¹⁵ Barts and the London Oncology Society, London, UK.
¹⁶ Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, Strand, London, UK.
¹⁷ Kent and Medway Medical School, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
¹⁸ Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Social Care, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, UK.
¹⁹ AELIA Organization, 9th Km Thessaloniki-Thermi, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece.

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary liver cancer that originates from underlying inflammation, often associated with Hepatitis B virus (HBV) or Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Despite the availability of treatments, there are high rates of tumour relapse due to the development of drug resistance in infected cells. Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) plays a crucial role in overcoming this issue by sequencing both viral and host genomes to identify mutations and genetic heterogeneity. The knowledge gained from sequencing is then utilised to develop countermeasures against these mutants through different combination therapies. Advances in NGS have led to sequencing with higher accuracy and throughput, thereby enabling personalized and effective treatments. The purpose of this article is to highlight how NGS has contributed to precision medicine in HCC and the possible integration of artificial intelligence (AI) to bolster the advancement.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Next generation sequencing; Precision oncology; Virus.

Publication types

Review