novato calif and the c allele probe is labeled on its 5 u2032 end with the vic u00ae a registered trademark of applied biosystems foster city calif fluorescent label and on its 3 u2032 end a bhq label useful real time pcr assay conditions comprise performing the first amplification cycle at 95 u00b0 c for 5 10 minutes polymerase activation then 95 u00b0 c for 15 seconds template melt then 70 72 u00b0 c for 30 60 seconds anneal extension with these alternating cycles repeated for 30 to 40 cycles while monitoring the fluorescein and vic u00ae fluorescence the preferred tissue samples for use herein are peripheral blood samples tumor or suspected tumor tissue can also be used the tissue sample can be processed by any suitable method including conventional methods known in the art for extraction and purification of chromosomal dna for use in nucleic acid based assays multiple chromosomal dna extraction kits are available commercially including the qiaamp blood kit qiagen inc valencia calif and the puregene dna isolation kit gentra systems inc minneapolis minn any suitable instrumentation or automation can be used in the performance of the inventive assays preferably automation for performance of dna extraction and real time pcr analysis of the tissue sample are used real time pcr detection instruments are available from applied biosystems more preferably the m2000sp automated dna extraction instrument and the m2000rt automated real time pcr instrument available from abbott molecular des plaines ill are use to carry out the inventive assays t 21 the above described exemplary embodiments are intended to be illustrative in all respects rather than restrictive of the present invention thus the.