Prediction of Likelihood of Cancer Recurrence
The present invention provides gene sets the expression of which is important in the diagnosis and/or prognosis of cancer, in particular of breast cancer.
1 .- 40 . (canceled)
41 . A method for analyzing the expression of genes in a human breast cancer patient, comprising:
obtaining a fixed, wax-embedded tissue sample from a breast cancer patient;
extracting RNA from the tissue sample;
reverse transcribing RNA transcripts of a set of genes consisting of 15-25 genes, wherein the set includes the following genes: (a) each of Ki-67, STK15, SURV, CCNB1, MYBL2, and STMY3, and (b) at least one reference gene, to produce cDNAs of the RNA transcripts of the set of genes; and
amplifying the cDNAs to produce amplicons from the cDNAs for determination of amplicon.
42 . The method of claim 41 , wherein the amplicon levels have been normalized against an amplicon level of an RNA transcript of at least one reference gene in the tissue sample.
43 . The method of claim 41 , wherein the amplicon levels are threshold cycle (Ct) values.
44 . The method of claim 41 , wherein the breast cancer patient has invasive, ductal carcinoma.
45 . The method of claim 41 , wherein the breast cancer patient has node negative and ER positive breast cancer.
46 . The method of claim 44 , wherein the breast cancer patient has node negative and ER positive breast cancer.
47 . The method of claim 41 , wherein the breast cancer patient has been treated with tamoxifen.
48 . The method of claim 44 , wherein the breast cancer patient has been treated with tamoxifen.
49 . The method of claim 41 , wherein the tissue sample comprises core biopsy or fine needle aspirate cells.
50 . The method of claim 41 , wherein the set of genes consists of 20 genes.
51 . The method of claim 41 , wherein the at least one reference gene comprises GADPH.