Blood-Based Small RNA Assay Predicts Survival After Lung Cancer Treatment

Locally advanced, non-resectable stage III lung cancer includes patients whose outcomes can vary substantially after curative-intent treatment. Progression-free and overall survival are therefore important for assessing treatment strategies and identifying higher-risk patients. To improve this risk assessment, a newly presented blood-based small RNA approach shows potential to stratify survival following chemoradiotherapy.

Hummingbird Diagnostics GmbH (Heidelberg, Germany) presented findings on blood-based small RNA biomarkers for lung cancer treatment monitoring at ESMO Congress 2026 in Madrid, Spain. The research was conducted in collaboration with LungenClinic Grosshansdorf in Germany and University Hospital and Polyclinic F.D. Roosevelt in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. The clinical study evaluated whether small RNA biomarkers could help predict survival outcomes in patients with locally advanced, non-resectable stage III lung cancer.

Image: The clinical study evaluated whether small RNA biomarkers could help predict survival outcomes in patients with locally advanced, non-resectable stage III lung cancer. (Image Credit: Shutterstock)

The study included 109 patients, 60 of whom underwent curative-intent chemoradiotherapy. This treatment group included 43 patients with non-small cell lung cancer and 17 with small cell lung cancer. Using a digital PCR (dPCR)-based classification approach, the researchers stratified patients who received chemoradiotherapy into high-risk and low-risk groups.

The two groups showed significantly different progression-free and overall survival outcomes. Median progression-free survival was 14 months in the low-risk group compared with seven months in the high-risk group, while median overall survival was 32 months versus nine months, respectively.

The biological mechanism underlying the assay was described as revealing new aspects of ribosome function that fuel cancer development. This work was recently presented at the EMBL-sponsored symposium, The complex life of RNA, held from October 13–16, 2026.

“We aim to translate biologically grounded small RNA information into practical blood-based assays that could complement clinical and radiological assessment and help inform future clinical decision-making. Such an approach could offer a cost-effective additional monitoring opportunity suitable for broader clinical implementation, with the potential to support clinical assessment and future treatment management,” said Dr. Rastislav Horos, Chief Technology Officer of Hummingbird Diagnostics.

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