As an important biological sample collection tool, the cell-free DNA blood collection tube has many advantages in clinical and scientific research fields, but it also has certain limitations, which are as follows:

Advantages

• Non-invasive or Minimally Invasive: Compared with traditional methods such as tissue biopsy, collecting blood samples using a cell-free DNA blood collection tube is a non-invasive or minimally invasive operation, causing little physical damage to patients. Patients are more likely to accept it. Especially for some parts or situations where tissue biopsy is difficult, such as tumors located in deep tissues or patients with poor physical conditions who cannot tolerate invasive examinations, the cell-free DNA blood collection tube provides a feasible alternative method.
• Real-time Monitoring: Blood samples can be collected at any time as needed to achieve real-time or dynamic monitoring of the disease state. For example, during the tumor treatment process, by regularly collecting blood and detecting cell-free DNA, it is possible to timely understand the changes in the tumor, evaluate the treatment effect, and provide a basis for adjusting the treatment plan.
• Detection of Multiple Diseases: The samples collected by the cell-free DNA blood collection tube can be used for the detection and research of a variety of diseases. It can not only be used for tumor-related detection but also applied to multiple fields such as prenatal diagnosis, cardiovascular diseases, neurological diseases, and infectious diseases. It is of great value for the diagnosis, disease condition assessment, and research on the pathogenesis of different diseases.
• High Sensitivity and Specificity: With the continuous development of detection technologies, the detection methods based on the samples collected by the cell-free DNA blood collection tube have high sensitivity and specificity. They can detect trace amounts of cell-free DNA in the blood and its changes, accurately reflecting the presence and development of diseases, which is helpful for the early diagnosis and precise treatment of diseases.
• Good Sample Stability: The cell-free DNA blood collection tube usually contains special anticoagulants and stabilizers, which can effectively prevent blood clotting and the degradation of cell-free DNA, ensuring the stability of the sample during the collection, transportation, and storage processes, and ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the detection results.

Limitations

• Low Content and Individual Differences: The content of cell-free DNA in the blood is usually low, and there are significant differences in content among different individuals and different disease states, which may affect the accuracy of the detection results. For some patients with early-stage diseases or mild conditions, the amount of cell-free DNA in the blood may be even less, increasing the difficulty of detection and prone to false-negative results.
• Complex Sources: The sources of cell-free DNA in the blood are extensive. In addition to coming from diseased cells, it may also come from the apoptosis and necrosis of normal cells, etc. This makes the interpretation of the detection results complicated. It is difficult to accurately distinguish which cell-free DNA is related to the disease and which is produced under normal physiological conditions, which may interfere with the diagnosis of the disease and the assessment of the disease condition.
• High Requirements for Detection Technology: Due to the characteristics of low content and small fragments of cell-free DNA, there are high requirements for detection technology. High-sensitivity and high-resolution detection methods, such as next-generation sequencing and digital PCR, are required. These technologies often require professional equipment and technicians, and the detection cost is also high, which limits their widespread application in some primary medical institutions.
• Lack of Unified Standards: Currently, there is still a lack of unified standards and specifications for the production and use of cell-free DNA blood collection tubes as well as related detection methods. The quality and performance of blood collection tubes produced by different manufacturers may vary, and the detection methods and result interpretation criteria of different laboratories are also not the same. This may lead to poor comparability and reproducibility of the detection results, affecting the accuracy and reliability of clinical diagnosis and research.