Source: Science News
An innovative cancer screening method combining dogs’ olfactory abilities with artificial intelligence has achieved remarkable accuracy in detecting cancer from patients’ breath. In a study by Israeli company SpotitEarly, Labrador retrievers trained to detect breast, lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers identified cases with 94% accuracy, including early-stage cancers. This early detection is crucial for improving survival rates.
The dogs’ body language, signaling cancer presence, was interpreted using AI-powered machine learning and computer vision, overcoming human challenges in reading subtle canine cues. Testing involved nearly 1,400 participants, with 261 confirmed cancer cases. The system correctly identified 245 positive cases and misclassified only 60 negative samples. SpotitEarly plans a larger U.S. trial by 2026 and is now training beagles, which are smaller and easier to handle. The pioneering Labradors—Mars, Moon, and Pluto—remain integral to ongoing research, showcasing the promise of this groundbreaking canine-AI partnership.
Read the full story HERE: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/dogs-cancer-artificial-intelligence-ai