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Can dogs sniff out cancer? AI joins the hunt in India

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Ongoing story
  • A Bengaluru startup is using dogs equipped with sensor-filled gear and artificial intelligence to study whether their reactions to human breath can help detect cancer.
  • Dognosis said a study involving more than 1,500 participants across six Karnataka hospitals achieved over 90% accuracy across seven major cancer types, though specialists called for larger studies.
  • The company hopes to launch the screening technology commercially next year while working with government medical institutions.

When rescue dog Chloe is not tumbling across the grass at a farm outside Bengaluru, she is learning to sniff human breath for signs of cancer. A 3D-printed helmet and sensor-packed harness record her reactions as part of an experimental effort to turn dogs' extraordinary sense of smell into a non-invasive screening tool.

In an hour, they can do thousands of sniffs

· Akash KulgodThe Dognosis co-founder describing the volume of samples dogs can assess.

The Bengaluru startup Dognosis uses artificial intelligence to analyze dogs' brain activity, breathing and body language. Its system converts their responses to scents into data. Chloe, a Labrador mix, is one of 15 dogs being trained by the company, whose co-founder Akash Kulgod described the equipment as a doggy "Iron Man" suit.

The testing process does not require patients to meet the animals. A patient breathes into a cotton mask for about 10 minutes. The mask is then sealed and taken to a laboratory. Dognosis says a recent study of more than 1,500 participants at six hospitals in Karnataka recorded over 90% accuracy across seven major cancer types. The study appeared in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, and the company plans to test the approach in real-world programs.

It's like a doggy 'Iron Man' suit

· Akash KulgodKulgod's description of the sensor-equipped helmet and harness used in the experiment.

Cancer specialists in Bengaluru viewed the findings cautiously. Santhosh Kumar Devadas of Ramaiah Memorial Hospital called the study "promising" as an early signal, but said researchers needed a much larger group before reaching firm conclusions. Neelesh Reddy of Manipal Hospitals said only time would show how useful the technology would be for actual patients.

The study is promising, as an early signal

· Santhosh Kumar DevadasThe oncology specialist's cautious assessment of Dognosis's study.

Dognosis hopes to launch commercially next year, which it says would make it the third company of its kind after firms in Germany and Israel. It is also collaborating with government medical institutions as it seeks commercial approval. The company presents the method as a potentially easy and affordable first layer of screening in a country where many patients receive cancer diagnoses only after the disease has advanced.

only time will tell how this technology will be useful to the actual patients

· Neelesh ReddyThe Manipal Hospitals oncologist's response to the experimental screening method.
About this summary

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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