Hackensack Meridian Health launches trial of canine-driven cancer testing
Hackensack Meridian Health, a New Jersey-based health system, started a cancer study with Israel Diagnostics this week.
The startup entered the U.S. market in May and is developing a test that uses AI and trained dogs to analyze patient respiratory samples with the goal of detecting cancer at its earliest stages.
Spotitearly's test requires patients to breathe for three minutes to look like N95 mask. After the samples were collected, Spotitearly’s dogs used their noses to sniff and detect cancer odor characteristics found in patients’ volatile organic compounds, which CEO Shlomi Madar described as “biological information in the blood of the lungs that flow into the air in our lungs.”
If the dog recognizes the cancer signature in the sample, it will signal to the lab by sitting next to it. As dogs sniff samples are being detected, the company uses its AI platform to track and analyze its physiological and behavioral signals, collecting thousands of data points per second, Madal said.
Founded in 2020, Spotitearly has completed a two-year Israeli test study before the launch in the U.S., a 1,400-participant study found that the test achieved 94% accuracy and was used to detect the four most common cancer types, such as lung, colon, breast cancer and prostate.
“This demonstrates the clinical effectiveness of Positearly products and their potential for democratization
Large-scale access to cancer screening. ” Madar said.
By launching a second clinical study, the startup is continuing to validate its platform. Madar noted that Hackensack meridian patients are now eligible to participate in the study with their traditional screening.
Two groups of women will be invited to participate in the study: those who come
Regular breast cancer screening, whether it is mammogram or ultrasound
Breast biopsy.
“Participants who choose to volunteer will breathe for only a few minutes and provide breathing samples next to regular screenings. The samples will then be sent to our lab where trained dogs and our proprietary AI platform will analyze their breast cancer.”
Spotitearfly will then compare these findings with patient-critical results
Show or biopsy.
The trial was a double-blind study, meaning that neither participants nor researchers knew which group each sample came from, ensuring that the results were not clouded by any bias. The study will run for two years and is estimated to end in August 2027.
The study was a multi-site trial designed to register 2,000 participants. As many as 500 of the participants will be women currently undergoing mammograms or biopsies on the Hackensack Meridian website, Madar said.
“Hackensack Meridian Health has a large and diverse patient population, which creates a strong infrastructure for clinical trials and makes it an ideal partner for the study,” he said.
For patients, this research opportunity is an opportunity to participate in a novel approach that can make early cancer detection easier to access.
Photo: Anna Rostova, Getty Images
