Identification of markers in lung and breast cancer

Abstract

Methods for identifying expression of markers indicative of the presence of breast cancer and lung cancer are provided. Also provided are articles of manufacture useful in such methods and compositions containing primers and probes useful in such methods.

1 - 60 . (canceled) 
     
     
         61 . A method of identifying the presence of breast cancer cells in a lymph node from a human patient, comprising determining if tumor-associated calcium signal transducer 1 (TACSTD1) mRNA and prolactin-inducible protein (PIP) mRNA are overabundant in an RNA sample prepared from the patient lymph node as compared to the levels of TACSTD1 mRNA and PIP mRNA in a control lymph node, wherein an overabundance of TACSTD1 mRNA and PIP mRNA from the patient lymph node is indicative of the presence of displaced breast cancer cells in the lymph node from the human patient. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein a nucleic acid amplification assay is used to determine if the TACSTD1 AND PIP mRNA species are overabundant in the RNA sample. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the nucleic acid amplification assay is a PCR assay or an isothermic amplification assay. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the nucleic acid amplification assay is selected from the group consisting of a RT-PCR assay, a QRT-PCR assay, and a rolling circle amplification assay. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 64 , wherein the nucleic acid amplification assay is RT-PCR. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 65 , wherein the RT-PCR assay uses one or more primer pairs specific to one or more of PIP and TACSTD 1. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the primer pairs consist essentially of at least about ten continguous nucleic acids of one or more of the PIP and TACSTD1 primers disclosed in Table B. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the nucleic acid amplification assay is a multiplex assay. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 68 , further comprising quantifying in the multiplexed nucleic acid amplification assay levels of an endogenous control RNA in the RNA sample.