Patent ID: 7160681

Claim:
A method for diagnosing breast cancer in a patient, comprising: a) detecting the level of cdk6 expression in a breast tissue cell sample from a patient to be diagnosed; b) detecting the level of cdk6 expression in a normal control breast tissue cell sample; c) comparing the level of cdk6 expression detected in step (a) to the level of cdk6 expression detected in step (b); and d) determining a difference between the levels of cdk6 expression; wherein a determination of a reduced level of cdk6 expression in the breast tissue cell sample from a patient to be diagnosed, as compared to the level of cdk6 expression in the normal control breast tissue cell sample, is indicative of a positive diagnosis of breast cancer in the patient; and, wherein a determination of an increased or a substantially similar level of cdk6 expression in the breast tissue cell sample from a patient to be diagnosed, as compared to the level of cdk6 expression in the normal control breast tissue cell sample, is indicative of a negative diagnosis of breast cancer in the patient.