Patent ID: 8481256

Claim:
An in vitro method for determining the survival time of a patient with cancer comprising: a) measuring a level of choline kinase alpha activity in a cancerous tissue sample extracted from the patient by determination of at least one parameter in said sample related to the choline kinase alpha activity selected from the group consisting of a level of choline kinase alpha messenger RNA using an amplification based assay and a concentration of choline kinase alpha protein using an immunoassay; b) measuring a level of choline kinase alpha activity in one or more normal non-cancerous tissue samples by determination of at least one parameter in said sample related to the choline kinase alpha activity selected from the group consisting of a level of choline kinase alpha messenger RNA using an amplification based assay and a concentration of choline kinase alpha protein using an immunoassay; c) comparing the levels measured in a) and b); and d) determining a decreased survival time when the level measured in a) is higher than the level measured in b) or an increased survival time when the level measured in a) is the same or lower than the level measured in b).