A start-up in India is combining dogs' highly sensitive sense of smell with artificial intelligence to explore a new approach to cancer screening.
At a research centre outside Bengaluru, 15 trained dogs are being taught to identify cancer-related odours in human breath samples.
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The dogs wear customised helmets and harnesses fitted with sensors that record their breathing, brain activity and movements as they sniff.
Artificial intelligence then analyses the data to identify patterns in the animals' responses.
Company reports 90% accuracy
Dognosis says a recent study involving more than 1,500 participants across six hospitals found an accuracy rate of more than 90% across seven types of cancer.
However, this is a company-reported result and does not establish the technology as a reliable cancer diagnostic test.
Independent cancer specialists say the findings are promising but need to be confirmed in much larger studies.
"The study is promising, as an early signal," said oncologist Santhosh Kumar Devadas.
"But they need to do the study with a much larger group before we make any definitive conclusions."
A non-invasive approach
The potential application is significant in India, where many cancers are diagnosed only after the disease has advanced.
The process is simple. Patients breathe into a cotton mask for around 10 minutes. The sample is then sealed and taken to the laboratory, without the patient meeting the dogs.
Dognosis hopes the approach could eventually be used as an initial screening step, identifying people who may need conventional medical tests.
The company says it plans further trials as it works towards potential commercial approval.
For now, researchers stress that larger and independent studies will be needed to establish whether dogs and AI can reliably detect cancer in real-world settings.
