Studies show that liquid biopsies have a high specificity but a low sensitivity. That means the blood test is very accurate at identifying a positive result, but a negative result may not be as precise. So if you receive a negative result, your doctor will likely order a tissue biopsy to confirm that the results are correct.
According to an article published in the journal Cure, some studies have shown that the sensitivity of liquid biopsies range from 60 to 85 percent. But more sensitive liquid biopsy technologies are rapidly emerging, says Hirsch.
“The amount of DNA in the blood might be dependent on the size of the tumor and the stage,” he says. “Sometimes there is not enough DNA for reliable examination. Sometimes there’s a discrepancy between the molecular findings in the blood and in the tumor.”
Other challenges and drawbacks of liquid biopsy, according to the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, include the following:
- There is not a standardized procedure and protocol for doctors to use liquid biopsy in the clinical setting, which is a factor in a lack of widespread availability; that in turn makes it harder to have solid studies to determine which standards and protocols work best.
- Some biomarkers are fragile, which means they are at high risk of becoming unusable before analysis.
- Some molecules are only available in low concentrations in body fluid, making it difficult to isolate and analyze these biomarkers.
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