Can Dogs Sniff Out Lung Cancer?

SpotitEarly, which is already testing whether the company's beagles can detect breast cancer, forges partnership with Fox Chase Cancer Center.

SpotitEarly, a company that uses cancer sniffing dogs in combination with artificial intelligence technology, has established a new research partnership to see whether its approach is effective in the early detection of lung cancer.

In September, SpotitEarly established a research partnership with Hackensack Meridian Health to study whether the company's approach is effective in detecting breast cancer. The new research partnership was forged with Philadelphia-based Fox Chase Cancer Center, which is part of Temple Health.

Early detection of cancer is crucial for achieving good clinical outcomes, according to Sangeeta Bardhan Cook, PhD, MBA, chief innovation officer at Fox Chase Cancer Center.

Bardhan Cook cites outcome data for pancreatic cancer as an example.

"Fifty-six percent of pancreatic cancer cases were detected only after reaching Stage IV, and very few of those patients survived longer than five years," Bardhan Cook says. "On the other hand, with current treatments, over 30% of patients survive five years if their tumor was detected at Stage IA."

SpotitEarly's approach to detecting cancer features using beagles that are trained to detect the scent of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with different types of cancer. A patient breathes into a mask, the mask is sent to SpotitEarly's laboratory, and the beagles sniff the masks to see whether VOCs linked to a type of cancer are present.

AI is used as part of the process through the LUCID platform, according to Shlomi Madar, PhD, CEO of SpotitEarly.

"The LUCID platform includes machine learning algorithms, which can detect any deviation in the dogs' behavior and physiology such as facial expressions and heart rate," Madar says. "Within seconds, we can get an interpretation of the dogs' response to the masks they are sniffing."

Dogs are uniquely suited to detecting VOCs linked to cancer. Madar explains that dogs have hundreds of millions of olfactory receptors in their nostrils, and they have an organ called an olfactory bulb in their brains that allows them to decipher between a signal and noise in real time.

"Dogs are far more sensitive than an 'electronic nose,'" Madar says. "They can detect volatile organic compounds in parts per trillion, which is several times better than any artificial instrument."

There is considerable room for improvement in methods for the early detection of cancer, according to Bardhan Cook.

"In the field of Multi-Cancer Early Detection, or MCED, current technologies roughly range from 30% to 70% sensitivity, with early-stage cases at the lower end," Bardhan Cook says. "That is, when you use an MCED test based on a blood sample and capable of detecting several kinds of cancer, these tests' performance in the population of apparently healthy people will miss 30% of cancer cases at best."

SpotitEarly's approach to the early detection of cancer is promising, according to Bardhan Cook.

"SpotitEarly's initial study published in 2024 reported sensitivity and specificity of 94%, including for cancers at early stages," Bardhan Cook says. "This technology may offer the ability to catch many more cases of asymptomatic cancer and do so with a low rate of false positives."

Avoiding false positives is as important for MCED as sensitivity, Bardhan Cook explains.

"Putting a healthy person through the anxiety, hardship, and costs of follow-up cancer screening that turns out negative is a healthcare burden to be avoided as much as possible," Bardhan Cook says.

There are significant reasons to test SpotitEarly's approach for detecting lung cancer. According to Madar, there have been advancements in treatment options for lung cancer, especially with immunotherapy treatments, and so more screening advancements are compelling.

"It is also important to focus on lung cancer screening because the adoption rate for lung cancer screening is abysmally low," Madar says. "In some parts of the country, only about 5% of people who should get screened for lung cancer are getting screened."

Sangeeta Bardhan Cook, PhD, MBA, is chief innovation officer at Fox Chase Cancer Center. Photo courtesy of Temple Health.

Good Research Partners

Fox Chase Cancer Center is an ideal research partner for SpotitEarly because of its connection to Temple Health and its broad reach in the Philadelphia area, according to Madar and Bardhan Cook.

"This broad reach is important for SpotitEarly because we want to work with a range of patient populations, which helps us diversify the cohort for the clinical study," Madar says.

The cancer center is also committed to innovation, Madar explains.

"The cancer center has an innovation arm," Madar says. "They are open to new innovative solutions. They are focused on innovation and removing barriers to research efforts."

Bardhan Cook cites Fox Chase Cancer Center's long and productive history in both clinical research and cancer control and prevention studies.

"Our collaboration with SpotitEarly showcases the combined efforts of an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and the world-class Temple Lung Center," Bardhan Cook says. "This combination within Temple Health provides robust research infrastructure and access to a large number of patients. Importantly, our patients represent a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnicities, and cancer risks, so hopefully our research results will be equally applicable to all people."

Shlomi Madar, PhD, is CEO of SpotitEarly. Photo courtesy of SpotitEarly.

Measures of Success

The primary measures of success for the clinical trial partnership between SpotitEarly and Fox Chase Cancer Center include technical measures and implementation measures, according to Bardhan Cook.

"Technical measures include the rates of true and false positives and true and false negatives, and whether these rates are equal to or better than the standard screening that is available for other MCED approaches," Bardhan Cook says. "Implementation measures include evaluations of patients' experiences taking the test and their willingness to include a breath test as part of their routine healthcare. Even the most effective test is of little use if people don't want to do it."

The clinical trial will require collecting data for at least a year to see whether patients develop lung cancer, and the research has clear targets, Madar explains.

"We want to achieve above 90% results for both sensitivity and specificity in detecting lung cancer," Madar says.