Characterization of ESM-1 as a tumor associated marker of colorectal cancer

A method of diagnosing colorectal cancer, comprising:

• (a) contacting an antibody specific to an ESM-1 protein with a whole blood, plasma, or serum sample from a patient suspected of having colorectal cancer to form antigen-antibody complexes;
• and
• (b) comparing protein levels of the sample from the patient with those of a normal control sample to determine an increase in the amount of formed antigen-antibody complexes, wherein the increased amount of the antigen-antibody complexes in the sample from the patient as compared to the antigen-antibody complexes in the normal control sample indicates that the patient has a colorectal cancer.