Technical advance in targeted NGS analysis enables identification of lung cancer risk-associated low frequency TP53, PIK3CA, and BRAF mutations in airway epithelial cells.

Application of SNAQ-SEQ to measure mutations in the 0.05-1.0% VAF range enabled identification of an AEC somatic mutation field of injury associated with lung cancer risk. A biomarker comprising TP53, PIK3CA, and BRAF somatic mutations may better stratify individuals for optimal lung cancer screening and prevention outcomes.