NextGen Tumor Mutation Burden Panel by NGS, FFPE Tissue**

Mutations are changes in the DNA sequence that can occur in cancer cells. Mutations can affect how cancer cells grow, multiply, and respond to treatment. NextGen Tumor Mutation Burden (TMB) is a genomic biomarker used to measure the total number of genetic mutations within the tumor cells of a cancer patient. TMB is assessed through next-generation sequencing techniques that analyze the tumor's DNA and identify the presence of various genetic alterations, including single nucleotide variants, insertions, deletions, and structural variations. The higher the number of mutations detected, the higher the TMB score. TMB serves as an indicator of the overall mutational burden within a tumor and can help predict the likelihood of response to immunotherapy treatments, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors. Patients with high TMB scores are more likely to exhibit an increased number of neoantigens, which can stimulate an immune response against the tumor. Therefore, TMB assessment plays a crucial role in guiding treatment decisions and identifying patients who may benefit from immunotherapy-based approaches.