A new BMC Cancer study reports that plasma‑based next‑generation sequencing (NGS) improves diagnostic yield and therapeutic selection in advanced non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) within Asian populations. The authors show plasma sequencing detects actionable mutations when tissue is limited or unavailable, enabling targeted therapy decisions. The work highlights the clinical utility of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) profiling in real‑world oncology workflows and suggests wider adoption could reduce time to targeted therapy. Laboratories and oncology programs will need to assess analytical validation, reimbursement pathways and integration with tissue testing algorithms.