Patent ID: 7208275

Claim:
A method of identifying a cancer by tumor type in a human or animal, the method comprising the steps of: a) extracting extracellular DNA from blood plasma or serum obtained from a human or animal, wherein the extracted extracellular DNA comprises DNA species from a plurality of the human's or animal's genes, wherein at least one of said DNA species is a non-mutated tumor-associated DNA species; b) amplifying or signal amplifying DNA from two or more genes from a portion of the extracted extracellular DNA, wherein said genes are associated with cancer and wherein at least one of said genes is a non-mutated tumor-associated gene and wherein the extracted extracellular DNA is amplified qualitatively or quantitatively, sequentially or concurrently, to produce an amplified DNA fragment or amplified signal from each of the two or more genes comprising the portion of extracellular extracted DNA; and c) detecting the amplified DNA fragments or amplified signals from said two or more genes, wherein detection of the genes identifies the cancer by tumor type.