Patent ID: 8034577

Claim:
A method for screening for an esophageal carcinoma or precursor lesion in a human subject whose status with respect to esophageal carcinoma is unknown, the method comprising: a. obtaining a biological sample comprising esophageal cells from the subject; b. contacting the sample with a set of three or more chromosomal probes selected from the group consisting of an 8q24.12-13 locus-specific probe, a 7p12 locus-specific probe, a 17q11.2-12 locus-specific probe, a 20q13 locus-specific probe, a chromosome enumeration probe for chromosome 9, a chromosome enumeration probe for chromosome 7, a 5q21-22 locus-specific probe, a 5p15 locus-specific probe, a 17p13.1 locus-specific probe, a chromosome enumeration probe for chromosome 17 and a 9p21 locus-specific probe to selectively detect an esophageal carcinoma or precursor lesion in the sample, if any, under conditions for specifically hybridizing the probes to their nucleic acid targets present in the sample, wherein at least one of the probes in the probe set is an 8q24.12-13 locus specific probe, a chromosome enumeration probe for chromosome 7 or a 17p13.1 locus specific probe; and c. detecting a hybridization pattern evaluating gains and losses for the set of chromosomal probes to the biological sample, wherein the hybridization pattern is indicative for the presence or absence of an esophageal carcinoma or precursor lesion in the subject.