Detecting neoplasm

A method for characterizing a biological sample comprising:

• (a) obtaining a biological sample from a human individual;
• (b) measuring a K-ras mutation score within the obtained biological sample through exposing a portion of the biological sample to one or more K-ras specific primers and determining the K-ras mutation score by performing a digital melt curve analysis or quantitative allele-specific PCR, wherein the K-ras specific primers comprise a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:
• 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8;
• (c) measuring a methylation level of a CpG site for BMP3 in a portion of the obtained biological sample through
• treating genomic DNA in the biological sample with bisulfite;
• amplifying the bisulfite-treated genomic DNA using primers specific for BMP3, and determining the methylation level of the CpG site by methylation-specific PCR, quantitative methylation-specific PCR, methylation-sensitive DNA restriction enzyme analysis, quantitative bisulfite pyrosequencing, or bisulfite genomic sequencing PCR;
• (d) comparing the K-ras mutation score and the BMP3 methylation level to a corresponding set of control samples without colorectal cancer;
• and
• (e) determining that the individual has colorectal cancer when 1) the measured K-ras mutation score is higher than in the control sample, and 2) the measured BMP3 methylation level is higher than in the control sample.