Table 1.

Summary of advantages and disadvantages for measuring minimal residual disease (MRD) with the available technology.

Methodology	Strengths	Weaknesses
Multiparameter Flow Cytometry	Fast; Absolute Quantification; Information at a cellular level; Wide availability	Variable antigen expression could lead to false negative results; High grade of expertise needed; Medium sensitivity with less than 8-colours
Allele-Specific Oligonucleotide PCR	High sensitivity	Time-consuming in the design of patient-specific primers; Requirement for optimal DNA quality and quantity
Digital PCR	Absolute quantification; High sensitivity; Avoids PCR inhibitors due to compartmentalization of target sequences	Lack of standardization No possibility to find new variants Allele-specific design
Next-Generation Sequencing or High-Throughput Sequencing	High Sensitivity (>10−6); Patient-specific primers not necessary; Versatility	Lack of standardization; High degree of bioinformatics expertise; Expensive