A Brief Overview and Update on Major Molecular Genomic Alterations in Solid, Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors, and Hematopoietic As Well As Lymphoid Malignancies

Context.-Recent advances in comprehensive genomic profiling by next-generation sequencing have uncovered the genomic alterations at the molecular level for many types of tumors; as such, numerous small specific molecules that target these alterations have been developed and widely used in the management of these cancers. Objective.-To provide a concise molecular genomic update in solid, bone and soft tissue tumors, hematopoietic as well as lymphoid malignancies; discuss its clinical applications; and familiarize practicing pathologists with the emerging cancer biomarkers and their diagnostic utilities. Data Sources.-This review is based on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines and peer reviewed English literature. Conclusions.-Tumor-specific biomarkers and molecular/genomic alterations, including pan-cancer markers, have been significantly expanded in the past decade thanks to large-scale high-throughput technologies and will continue to emerge in the future. These biomarkers can be of great value in diagnosis, prognosis, and/or targeted therapy/treatment. Familiarization with these emerging and ever-changing tumor biomarkers will undoubtedly aid pathologists in making accurate and state-of-the-art diagnoses and enable them to be more actively involved in the care of cancer patients. (Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2021;145:1358-1366 ; doi: 10.5858/arpa.2021-0077-RA)