Methods and tools for discriminating colorectal adenomas and adenocarcinomas

An in vitro method for detecting the presence of colorectal adenocarcinoma cells in a patient, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) detecting in a test sample of said patient the expression level of one or more marker genes, the expression of which is altered upon the presence of a chromosomal aberration, wherein said one or marker genes comprise:
• two or more marker genes selected from the group of marker genes depicted in Table 2 of which the expression level is altered by chromosomal loss at chromosome 8p and/or,
• one or more marker genes selected from the group of marker genes depicted in Table 3 of which the expression level is altered by chromosomal gain at chromosome 8q and/or,
• three or more marker genes selected from the group of marker genes depicted in Table 4 of which the expression level is altered by chromosomal gain at chromosome 13q, and/or
• one or more marker genes selected from the group of marker genes depicted in Table 5 of which the expression level is altered by chromosomal loss at chromosome 15q, and/or
• one or more marker genes selected from the group of marker genes depicted in Table 6 of which the expression level is altered by chromosomal loss at chromosome 17p and/or,
• three or more marker genes selected from the group of marker genes depicted in Table 7 of which the expression level is altered by chromosomal loss at chromosome 18q and/or,
• nine or more marker genes selected from the group of marker genes depicted in Table 8 of which the expression level is altered by chromosomal gain at chromosome 20q, and/or
• two or more marker genes selected from the group of marker genes depicted in Table 9 of which the expression level is altered by chromosomal gain at chromosome 20q;
• and
• b) comparing the expression level of the one or more marker genes used in step (a) to that of control sample(s);
• wherein an elevated or decreased expression level of said one or more marker genes in said test sample, compared to the control sample, is indicative of the presence of adenocarcinoma cells in said patient.

An in vitro method for detecting the presence of colorectal adenocarcinoma cells in a patient, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) detecting in a test sample of said patient the expression level of a plurality of marker genes the expression of which is altered upon the presence of a chromosomal aberration, said plurality of marker genes comprising:
• at least one marker gene of which the expression level is altered by chromosomal loss at chromosome 8p, selected from the group of marker genes depicted in Table 2, and
• at least one marker gene of which the expression level is altered by chromosomal gain at chromosome 8q, selected from the group of marker genes depicted in Table 3, and
• at least one marker gene of which the expression level is altered by chromosomal gain at chromosome 13, selected from the group of marker genes depicted in Table 4, and
• at least one marker gene of which the expression level is altered by chromosomal loss at chromosome 15q, selected from the group of marker genes depicted in Table 5, and
• at least one marker gene of which the expression level is altered by chromosomal loss at chromosome 17p, selected from the group of marker genes depicted in Table 6, and
• at least one marker gene of which the expression level is altered by chromosomal loss at chromosome 18q, selected from the group of marker genes depicted in Table 7, and
• at least one marker gene of which the expression level is altered by chromosomal gain at chromosome 20q, selected from the group of marker genes depicted in Table 8 or in Table 9;
• and
• b) comparing the expression level of the marker genes used in step a) to that of a control sample,
• wherein an elevated or decreased expression level of said plurality of markers in said test sample, compared to the control sample, is indicative of the presence of adenocarcinoma cells in said patient.