Ratio based biomarkers and methods of use thereof

A survival-based cancer biomarker indicator, comprising at least two cancer associated proteins, wherein the at least two cancer associated proteins comprise ERRFI1 and API5, or comprise ATP5H and HIF-1α;

• and wherein the at least two cancer associated proteins are used to obtain the survival-based cancer biomarker indicator by:
• determining the level of the first cancer associated protein in a sample from a subject;
• determining the level of the second cancer associated protein in the sample;
• normalizing the first cancer associated protein level to total cellular protein content in the sample;
• and
• normalizing the second cancer associated protein level to total cellular protein content in the sample, to obtain the survival-based cancer biomarker indicator.

A method of determining relative cancer prognosis or survival rates for a subject with a solid tumor comprising:

• (a) obtaining a biomarker indicator, the biomarker indicator being obtained by a method comprising:
• (i) obtaining the solid tumor sample from the subject;
• (ii) extracting a first cancer associated protein from the solid tumor sample to produce a fraction comprising the first cancer associated protein;
• (iii) calculating the content of the first cancer associated protein in the fraction;
• (iv) normalizing the first cancer associated protein content against total cellular protein content in the sample
• (v) extracting a second cancer associated protein from the solid tumor sample;
• (vi) calculating the content of the second cancer associated protein in the fraction;
• (vii) normalizing the second cancer associated protein content against total cellular protein content in the sample;
• and
• (viii) correlating the normalized first cancer associated protein content against the normalized second cancer associated protein content to obtain a biomarker indicator;
• and
• (b) comparing the biomarker indicator with prognosis or relative survival rates, thereby determining the prognosis or relative cancer survival rate for the subject with the solid tumor, wherein the first and second cancer associated proteins are ERRFI1 and API5, or ATP5H and HIF-1α.

A method for detecting cancer in a subject comprising:

• determining levels of a first cancer associated protein and a second cancer associated protein from a biological sample from the subject, wherein the at least two cancer associated proteins comprise ERRFI1 and API5, or comprise ATP5H and HIF-1α;
• normalizing the first and second cancer associated protein content against total cellular protein content from the biological sample;
• and
• comparing the normalized levels of the first and second cancer associated proteins with levels of the first and second cancer associated proteins in cells, tissues or bodily fluids measured in a control sample, wherein a decrease or increase in the normalized levels of the first and second cancer associated proteins in the subject versus levels of the first and second cancer associated proteins measured in the control sample beyond a predetermined cut-off value is associated with the presence of cancer in the subject.