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Table 1 Advantages of liquid biopsy over standard tissue biopsy

From: Liquid biopsy - emergence of a new era in personalized cancer care

 

Liquid biopsy

Tissue biopsy

Clinical sample

Blood

Effected tissue

Risk

Minimal risk/pain

Risk depends on location of tumor

Ease of collecting sample

Quick

Depends on location of tumor. Some tumors are hard to reach

Ease of monitoring patients

Simple blood test

Difficult to do repeat surgeries; also surgeons may not know where to look for metastatic tumor

Invasive

Minimally invasive

Invasive

Time for patient recovery

Quick; does not require hospitalization

Time Intensive; requires hospitalization of patients