Thirteen normal and modified nucleosides, primarily degradation products of transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA), were evaluated as potential tumor markers for cancer patients. Their urinary concentrations were determined by means of micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC) in the urine from 54 healthy adults and 70 cancer patients, then quantitatively expressed as a function of creatinine excretion. It was found that urinary nucleosides for cancer patients were on the average significantly higher than those for healthy controls, however, no significant differences were found between male and female or between different ages. Based on 13 urinary nucleoside concentrations, principal component analysis (PCA) could be used to classify 72% of cancer patients from the healthy controls. The present study shows that the precise measurement of urinary nucleosides by MEKC in combining with PCA technique may provide a clinically useful approach for diagnosis of cancer.