Ma Y, Li Q, Du Y, et al. - Researchers here obtained 579 pathologically confirmed non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) specimens and then employed next-generation sequencing (NGS) to examine the DNA samples for genetic alterations (GAs) in order to determine the impact of oncogenic GAs on NSCLC in southwestern China. Twenty-eight patients provided both tissue and plasma samples. NGS detected GAs in 61.8% (358/579) of patients. A relatively high EGFR mutation rate was observed in females, nonsmokers, adenocarcinoma, and tissue. Notably, a significantly different mutational pattern for EGFR was evident among NSCLC patients from Xuanwei vs non-Xuanwei patients (higher G719X + S768I mutations and multiple gene alterations, but fewer exon 19 deletion mutations and single gene alterations). A higher number of KRAS mutations were evident in correlation with adenocarcinoma, family history of malignancy, Xuanwei origin, and tissue. In subgroup analysis, ALK and ROS1 fusions and rare EGFR mutations were linked with non-Han ethnic patients. Findings overall suggest an obviously unique prevalence of GAs among Yunnan NSCLC patients from Xuanwei and non-Han ethnic patients.