Diagnostic method for detecting cancer by measuring amount of a cytokine like il-6

Abstract

The present invention relates to a diagnostic method for predicting the possible recurrence of tumours in cancer patients. The method comprises culturing blood cells from a patient suffering from cancer in the presence of a cytokine stimulating factor, where after the amount of induced cytokine thereby produced is determined giving an indication of the risk of recurrence of the cancer.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for identifying a prognosis for survival of a patient with colorectal cancer and lymph node metastases comprising:
 (a) measuring the amount of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in a suspension of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), human sera from said patient, and lipopolysaccharide; and   (b) classifying said patient as having a reduced prognosis for survival when the amount of IL-6 measured in the suspension of (a) is above the amount of IL-6 in a suspension of lipopolysaccharide, and PBMCs and sera from a human with colorectal cancer and a good prognosis for survival; or   (c) classifying said patient as having an increased prognosis for survival when the amount of IL-6 measured in the mixture of (a) is equivalent to the amount of IL-6 in a suspension of lipopolysaccharide, and PBMCs and sera from a human with colorectal cancer and a good prognosis for survival.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said patient has had a primary tumor removed. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the amount of IL-6 is measured by an immunoassay, a blotting technique, ELISA, ELISpot, flow cytometry, cytometric bead array, or proteomics. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the immunoassay is ELISA or flow cytometry. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the patient with local colorectal cancer comprises at least T3 stage colorectal cancer.