The present invention provides a method for detecting cancer using a protein expressed in various cancers, and a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment or prevention of such cancer using the protein as an indicator. Furthermore, the present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition containing a cancer antigen peptide derived from the protein. More particularly, the method comprises the step of determining the presence or amount of an eEF2 polypeptide or an eEF2 antibody in a sample obtained from a subject.
