DETECTION OF EXTRACELLULAR TUMOR-ASSOCIATED NUCLEIC ACID IN BLOOD PLASMA OR SERUM

摘要

This invention relates to detection of specific extracellular nucleic acid i n plasma or serum fractions of human or animal blood associated with neoplasti c, pre-malignant or proliferative disease. Specifically, the invention relates to detection of nucleic acid derived from mutant oncogenes or other tumor- associated DNA, and to those methods of detecting and monitoring extracellul ar mutant oncogenes or tumor-associated DNA found in the plasma or serum fracti on of blood by using DNA extraction with or without enrichment for mutant DNA.< /SDOAB>