Abstract: The present invention provides methods and compositions for identifying human subjects with an increased risk of having or developing disease. In particular, this invention relates to the identification and characterization of polymorphisms in the human chromosome 19q, the region r located approximately 19q13.2-3 correlated with increased risk of developing disease, in particular cancer and the responsiveness of a subject to various treatments for cancer. An allele in the r region can be identified as correlated with an increased risk of developing disease, in particular cancer, the prognosis of developed disease, in particular cancer, and responsiveness to disease treatment, in particular cancer treatment on the basis of statistical analyses of the incidence of a particular allele in individuals diagnosed with disease, in particular cancer. The invention further relates to probes, and kits comprising the probes useful in the diagnostic.