Can dogs sniff cancer? AI joins the hunt in India

In Bengaluru, India's tech hub, a rescue dog named Chloe is undergoing training to identify human breath odors indicative of cancer, alongside a team of artificial intelligence. This initiative, spearheaded by a Bengaluru-based startup called Dognosis, aims to develop a non-invasive cancer detection method using dogs' unparalleled sense of smell.

The AI technology analyzes the dogs' brain activity, respiration, and body language, converting their scent reactions into data. In a single hour, Dognosis claims their AI system can perform thousands of scent evaluations. The startup, which has secured funding from venture capital firms like Accel India, is collaborating with government medical institutions and plans to launch its commercial product next year.

This early detection technology could potentially improve cancer survival rates, as many patients in India are diagnosed only after the disease has progressed. Chloe, a Labrador mix, is one of 15 dogs participating in the experiment, donning a custom-designed helmet and harness loaded with sensors. The testing process involves patients breathing into a cotton mask for about 10 minutes, with the mask subsequently sealed and sent to the lab for analysis.

The study, involving over 1,500 participants across six hospitals in Karnataka, achieved an accuracy rate of more than 90 percent across seven major cancer types. However, cancer specialists in Bengaluru have expressed cautious optimism, emphasizing the need for further large-scale research to validate the technology's effectiveness.