A method for the diagnosis of cancer in a sample of cholesterol-rich lipoprotein nanoparticles obtained from a test subject includes: (a) determining the protein level of at least one protein in the sample of isolated cholesterol-rich lipoprotein nanoparticles; and (b) comparing the determined protein level to the corresponding protein level in one or more samples of cholesterol-rich lipoprotein nanoparticles obtained from one or more healthy subjects or a predetermined standard obtained from a corresponding protein level in one or more samples of cholesterol-rich lipoprotein nanoparticles obtained from one or more healthy subjects. An at least 1.5-fold increase or decrease of the determined protein level as determined in (a) as compared to the protein level in one or more samples of cholesterol-rich lipoprotein nanoparticles obtained from one or more healthy subjects or the predetermined standard indicates that the test subject has cancer.