Abstract: Whole exome sequencing (WES) is a gene analysis method that uses the sequence capture technique to capture and enrich the whole exon region DNA and perform high-throughput sequencing. WES can be used to detect genetic mutations associated with protein functional variability directly. Since the WES is sequenced only for the DNA of the exon region, it is much simple, more economical and efficient than the whole genome sequencing, and its target area coverage is higher, which is easy to detect. At present, WES has been applied to the study of pathogenic genes and susceptibility genes associated with various complex diseases such as lung cancer.In this paper, The clinical significance of WES in mechanism research and treament in lung cancer was been reviewed.

Key words: Whole exome sequencing, lung cancer, predisposing genes, genic mutation