A biotechnology startup is pioneering a novel, highly accurate, and potentially affordable method for early cancer detection by combining the acute sense of smell of trained dogs with artificial intelligence to analyze breath samples.
SpotitEarly’s innovative system achieved 94% accuracy in detecting four common cancers during a rigorous double-blind clinical study involving 1,400 volunteers. The study, published in Nature’s Scientific Reports, focused on breast, colorectal, prostate, and lung cancers.
The test, which is expected to be available through physician networks next year, aims for a price point of around $250 for breast cancer screening. This significantly undercuts existing blood-based multi-cancer early detection (MCED) options, which can cost approximately $950, and full-body MRIs that often exceed $2,000.
Users collect breath samples at home and mail them to SpotitEarly’s laboratory. There, 18 specially trained Beagle dogs sniff the samples. If a dog detects the scent of cancer, it is trained to sit down.
The company enhances this biological detection with an artificial intelligence system. CCTV cameras monitor dog behavior, microphones capture breathing patterns, and heart rate monitors track their physiological responses. A machine learning system then analyzes this data against baseline patterns for the entire pack, providing a layer of accuracy beyond human observation alone.
Shlomi Madar, CEO of SpotitEarly, states that scientific data increasingly supports the ability of dogs to detect diseases, particularly cancer, in humans. The company is currently expanding its clinical studies, beginning with breast cancer before moving on to the other three targeted cancer types.
While other MCED blood tests are under development, they remain in research and development stages and have not yet received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Madar emphasized that the Beagles are an integral part of the team. He noted they are not merely biological detectors but are treated as colleagues and companions with ample space to run and play.