Pros and cons of analysis methods used in liquid biopsies

Analysis methodProsCons
qPCRGood sensitivity and specificity
Widely available
Limited to HTS and discovery studies
ddPCRHigh sensitivityExpensive
BEAmingDetection of ctDNA with very low mutant allele frequencyExpensive
NGSHigh sensitivityBioinformatics support required
Identification of several miRNA variantsNo automation
Whole-genome sequencingWide applicationExpensive
Time-consuming
Bioinformatics support required
CellSearchFDA approvedExpensive
Good sensitivity and reproducibilityLimited to CTCs with high EpCAM levels
False positives due to inflammation