Using large collections of publicly accessible genome-wide gene expression, we identify small, common sets of pathways – Trka Receptor, Apoptosis response to DNA Damage, Ceramide, Telomerase, CD40L and Calcineurin – whose differences robustly distinguish diverse tumor types from corresponding normal samples, predict tumor grade, and distinguish phenotypes such as estrogen receptor status and p53 mutation state. This evidence concerns the gene TP53 and neoplasm.