EPCAM and neoplasm: RT-qPCR shows that mRNA levels for the tumor-related markers EpCAM, HER2, MUC1, WT1, p16 and Pax8 were significantly higher in macrophages from the peripheral blood of ovarian cancer patients, both before and after treatment, than that from healthy volunteers (P<0.05), although there was no significant difference between levels seen in patients before and after treatment (Fig. 7F).