Methods and compositions for diagnosing epithelial cell cancer

Abstract

Provided is a method for detecting metastases of epithelial cancers, comprising detecting in non-primary tissue overexpression of a nucleic acid of KS1/4, or detecting in non-primary tissue overexpression of a combination of nucleic acids of KS1/4 and PIP, of nucleic acids of KS1/4 and mam, of nucleic acids of PIP and mam, of nucleic acids of KS1/4, PIP and mam, or of nucleic acids of KS1/4 and lunx, the overexpression of a nucleic acid of KS1/4, or the overexpression of a combination of nucleic acids of KS1/4 and PIP, of nucleic acids of KS1/4 and mam, of nucleic acids of PIP and mam, of nucleic acids of KS1/4, PIP and mam, or of nucleic acids of KS1/4 and lunx in non-primary tissue being correlated with metastases of epithelial cancers.

1 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . A method of detecting metastases in a subject that has been previously diagnosed with breast cancer, comprising detecting in a non-primary tissue of the subject overexpression of KS1/4 mRNA and overexpression of PIP mRNA compared to expression levels in normal control, the overexpression of both KS1/4 and PIP mRNA in the non-primary tissue being indicative of metastatic breast cancer in the subject. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising detecting overexpression of a third mRNA marker MAM compared to expression levels in normal control, the overexpression of MAM combined with the overexpression of KS1/4 and PIP being indicative of metastatic breast cancer in the subject. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the metastases are micrometastases. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the non-primary tissue is a lymph node, a bone marrow, a bone, an adipose tissue, or a peripheral blood sample. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the non-primary tissue is lymph node 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the non-primary tissue is bone marrow. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the non-primary tissue is bone. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the non-primary tissue is adipose tissue. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the non-primary tissue is peripheral blood. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the metastases are micrometastases. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the non-primary tissue is a lymph node, a bone marrow, a bone, an adipose tissue, or a peripheral blood sample. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the non-primary tissue is lymph node 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the non-primary tissue is bone marrow. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the non-primary tissue is bone. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the non-primary tissue is adipose tissue. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the non-primary tissue is peripheral blood.