Blood RNA markers may flag lung cancer risk 10 years before diagnosis
Genetic markers in the blood that can signal lung cancer risk up to 10 years before a person is diagnosed have been discovered by University of Hawaiʻi researchers. The set of 31 tiny markers, called small noncoding RNAs, could eventually help identify people at higher risk while cancer remains clinically undetected.
Researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi have identified a panel of 31 specific blood markers that could signal an increased risk of lung cancer up to 10 years before a diagnosis. These small noncoding RNAs, known as exosomal sncRNAs, were discovered in stored blood samples from participants who later developed lung cancer. The discovery was led by Dr. Youping Deng and his team at the UH Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine, in collaboration with researchers from the UH Cancer Center and the Multiethnic Cohort (MEC) Study.
The team developed a computer model using these markers that achieved 95% accuracy in predicting future lung cancer risk. Even after accounting for age, sex, ethnicity, and smoking history, the RNA-based risk score remained strongly associated with future lung cancer, detectable up to five to 10 years before clinical diagnosis. The research team is working towards patent protection for the biomarker panel and its potential clinical application.
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