Molecular markers for human colon cancer in stool and blood identified by RT-PCR.

There is a need for sensitive and specific diagnostic and prognostic molecular markers which can monitor early patterns of gene expression in non-invasive exfoliated colonocytes shed in the stool, and aggression in carcinoma cells in blood of resected colorectal cancer patients. RNA-based detection methods are more comprehensive than either DNA- or protein-based methods. By routinely and systematically being able to perform quantitative gene expression studies on non-invasive samples using carefully selected tumor-specific colon cancer genes, we can quantitatively and accurately monitor changes at various stages in the neoplastic process, allowing for surgical and/or other therapies, and thus, decrease mortality from colorectal cancer.