A BMC Cancer study validated a circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) next‑generation sequencing platform across a large cohort of stage III and IV non‑small cell lung cancer patients in China, demonstrating robust performance and clinical applicability for genomic profiling. The study supports ctDNA‑NGS as a noninvasive tool for molecular stratification, treatment selection and monitoring in advanced NSCLC, particularly where tissue biopsies are unavailable or risky. Authors highlight sensitivity, turnaround time and concordance metrics versus tissue testing.