Patent ID: 7585503

Claim:
A method of determining whether neoplastic cells from a cancer patient are likely to be multiple drug resistant (MDR) neoplastic cells, said method comprising: obtaining a sample of candidate MDR neoplastic cells from said cancer patient; determining the amount of α 2-6 linked sialic acid bound to the surface of said candidate MDR neoplastic cells; and comparing the amount of α 2-6 linked sialic acid bound to the surface of said candidate MDR neoplastic cells to the amount of α 2-6 linked sialic acid bound to the surface of cells that have been determined to be drug sensitive neoplastic cells of the same cell type as said candidate MDR neoplastic cells, wherein a decreased amount of α 2-6 linked sialic acid bound to the surface of said candidate MDR neoplastic cells as compared to the amount of α 2-6 linked sialic acid bound to the surface of said drug sensitive neoplastic cells indicates that the candidate MDR neoplastic cells are likely to be MDR neoplastic cells.