| abstract |
(57) [Summary]nThe present invention relates to the discovery that amplification of the CYP24 gene or increased CYP24 activity is a marker of the presence, progression, or predisposition to cancer (eg, breast cancer). The present invention provides a method for detecting a predisposition to cancer in an animal using this information. The method comprises: (i) providing a biological sample from an animal (eg, a human patient); (ii) detecting the level of CYP24 in the biological sample; and (iii) Comparing the CYP24 level to a CYP24 level in a control sample taken from a tumor-bearing tissue, wherein the increased CPY24 level in the biological sample relative to the CYP24 level in the control sample is greater than the level of CPY24 in the animal. Indicates the presence of cancer. |