Abstract: It is intended to provide a non-invasive and convenient method of detecting a tumor marker for diagnosing colon cancer which is superior in sensitivity and specificity to the existing fecal occult blood test. More specifically speaking, a method of detecting a tumor marker for diagnosing colon cancer which comprises collecting biological sample which is immediately frozen using liquid nitrogen in some cases, homogenizing the sample in the presence of an inhibitor of an RNA digesting enzyme to give a suspension, extracting RNA from the obtained suspension, subjecting the extracted RNA to reverse transcription to give cDNA, amplifying the obtained cDNA and then detecting the thus amplified cDNA. This method is characterized by involving no procedure of separating cell components from the biological sample.

Abstract: A microwave plasma generator is provided in which a gas in a vacuum vessel is directly excited by an evanescent wave from a microwave resonator disposed in the vessel without using an ECR system. The microwave plasma generator of the present invention includes a microwave source to generate an excitation microwave, a discharge gas source, a plasma generation vacuum vessel to be supplied with a gas from the discharge gas source, a coaxial waveguide to introduce the excitation microwave into the vessel, and a parallel plate launcher disposed in the vessel. In the parallel plate launcher, a resonant cavity is constructed from a first conductor plate connected to an outer conductor of the coaxial waveguide, a dielectric plate, and a second conductor plate connected to a central conductor of the coaxial waveguide and provided with a plurality of openings to emit evanescent microwaves into the vacuum vessel.