Abstract: The present invention provides diagnostics and/or prognostic methods by identifying miRNAs that are differentially expressed or mis-regulated in various states of diseased, normal, cancerous, and/or abnormal tissues, including but not limited to cervix, skin, colon, breast, bladder, esophagus, liver, ovary, prostate, lung, pancreas, thyroid, kidney, stomach, testicle, uterus, spleen, tongue, brain, thymus, trachea and/or small intestine. In certain aspects, differential miRNA expression is initially determined by comparing miRNA expression between a normal tissue and cancer negative lymph node (LNneg), a normal tissue and a cancer positive lymph node (LNpos), a cancerous tissue and LNneg and/or LNpos, LNneg and LNpos. The methods of the invention are used to identify the presence or absence of non-lymphoid cells from other organs or tissues, and/or metastatic cancer cells present in lymph nodes.

Abstract: The present invention provides diagnostics and/or prognostic methods by identifying miRNAs that are differentially expressed or mis-regulated in various states of diseased, normal, cancerous, and/or abnormal tissues, including but not limited to cervix, skin, colon, breast, bladder, esophagus, liver, ovary, prostate, lung, pancreas, thyroid, kidney, stomach, testicle, uterus, spleen, tongue, brain, thymus, trachea and/or small intestine. In certain apsects, differential miRNA expression is initially determined by comparing miRNA expression between a normal tissue and cancer negative lymph node (LNneg), a normal tissue and a cancer positive lymph node (LNpos), a cancerous tissue and LNneg and/or LNpos, LNneg and LNpos. The methods of the invention are used to identify the presence or absence of non-lymphoid cells from other organs or tissues, and/or metastatic cancer cells present in lymph nodes.