The present invention relates to an in vitro method for identifying and assessing compounds useful for treating various types of cancer, particularly lung cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer and bladder cancer, with a view to determining the stage or severity of the cancer in a patient, or to monitor the effect of the therapy carried out on the cancer patient. The invention further relates to finding, identifying, developing and assessing the efficacy of cancer therapy compounds with a view to developing novel drugs as well as agents that inhibit the expression and/or activity of protein choline kinase alpha and/or the effects of such expression.
