Patent ID: 7510832

Claim:
A method for determining whether a breast carcinoma has an invasive phenotype comprising: a) obtaining a physiological test sample comprising breast carcinoma cells from a human; b) preparing the test sample such that RNA in the test sample is capable of binding with a detection reagent possessing a labeling signal; c) combining the test sample with the detection reagent under conditions that produce a detectable reaction product if human BC200 RNA is present; d) measuring the amount of detectable labeling signal associated with the test sample; and e) comparing the amount of labeling signal measured in d) to a labeling signal from a non-invasive non-high grade breast tumor control having less than about 1000 ALU units as measured using an image analysis software prepared using the same steps as the test sample; wherein a test sample having the same or lower level of labeling signal compared to the level of labeling in a non-high grade breast carcinoma control in step e) prepared using the same steps as the test sample indicates a non-high grade breast carcinoma in the test sample that is non-invasive; and wherein a test sample having a greater level of labeling signal compared to the level of labeling in a non-high grade breast carcinoma control in step e) prepared using the same steps as the test sample indicates a high grade breast carcinoma in the test sample that is invasive.