In vitro method for identifying colorectal adenomas or colorectal cancer

In vitro method for the diagnosis of subjects at risk of developing advanced colorectal adenomas comprising:

• (a) measuring the expression pattern or level of at least miR-15b obtained from a minimally-invasive biological sample of the human subjects to be diagnosed selected from the list consisting of:
• a plasma sample, blood sample or serum sample;
• and (b) comparing said expression pattern or level of at least miR-15b of the human subjects to be diagnosed with an already established expression pattern or level, wherein overexpression of at least miR-15b is indicative of advanced colorectal adenomas.