Table 1 Enrichment methods for CTCs in biological fluids.
Methods | Benefits | Pitfalls |
|---|---|---|
Density-gradient centrifugation | Simple, fast process | Poor sensitivity (potential loss of tumor cells) |
Filtration | Isolation by size, do not require cell lysis | Low number of collected CTCs |
Immunomagnetic selection | Enhanced sensitivity, enhanced specificity, intact cells | Costly and time-consuming process, false positives, false negatives |