At a research center near Bengaluru, 15 trained dogs are being taught to detect odors associated with cancer in samples of human breath.
The dogs are fitted with special helmets and harnesses equipped with sensors that record their breathing, brain activity, and movements while they sniff. Artificial intelligence then analyzes this data to identify patterns in the animals’ responses.
According to Dognosis, a recent study involving more than 1,500 people at six hospitals showed an accuracy rate of over 90% in detecting seven types of cancer. However, these are the company’s own data and are not yet sufficient to consider the technology a reliable method for diagnosing cancer.
Independent oncologists say the results are encouraging but need to be confirmed in much larger studies, Euronews reports. “The study is promising, but only as an early signal,” oncologist Santosh Kumar Devadas said. “Now we need to conduct a study with a much larger sample before we can draw any definitive conclusions.”
The potential application is particularly important for India, where many cancer cases are diagnosed only at advanced stages.
The procedure is simple: patients breathe into a cotton mask for about 10 minutes. The sample is then sealed and sent to a laboratory, with the patient having no contact with the dogs at all.
Dognosis hopes that over time the method could be used as an initial screening step to identify people who need standard medical examinations.
The company says it plans to conduct further trials as it moves toward possible commercial approval.
For now, however, researchers emphasize that larger and independent studies are needed to determine whether dogs and AI can reliably detect cancer under real-world conditions.
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