This invention relates to detection of specific 
extracellular nucleic acid in 
plasma or serum fractions of human or animal blood associated with neoplastic or 
proliferative disease. Specifically, the invention relates to detection of 
nucleic acid derived from 
mutant oncogenes or other tumor-associated 
DNA, and to those methods of detecting and monitoring 
extracellular mutant oncogenes or tumor-associated 
DNA found in the 
plasma or serum fraction of blood by using 
rapid DNA extraction followed by 
nucleic acid amplification with or without enrichment for 
mutant DNA. In particular, the invention relates to the detection, identification, or monitoring of the existence, progression or clinical status of benign, premalignant, or malignant neoplasms in humans or other animals that contain a 
mutation that is associated with the 
neoplasm through detection of the mutated nucleic acid of the 
neoplasm in 
plasma or serum fractions. The invention permits the detection of 
extracellular, tumor-associated nucleic acid in the serum or plasma of humans or other animals recognized as having a neoplastic or 
proliferative disease or in individuals without any prior history or diagnosis of neoplastic or 
proliferative disease. The invention provides the ability to detect extracellular nucleic acid derived from genetic sequences known to be associated with neoplasia, such as oncogenes, as well as genetic sequences previously unrecognized as being associated with neoplastic or proliferative 
disease. The invention thereby provides methods for early identification of colorectal, pancreatic, 
lung, breast, bladder, ovarian, 
lymphoma and all other malignancies carrying tumor-related mutations of DNA and methods for monitoring 
cancer and other neoplastic disorders in humans and other animals.