A Bengaluru-based startup called Dognosis is pioneering an unconventional approach to cancer screening by harnessing the remarkable olfactory abilities of trained dogs combined with artificial intelligence. The company is repurposing canine scent detection — traditionally used for drugs and explosives — for low-cost health screening.
Dogs possess scent receptors that are up to 10,000 times more sensitive than those of humans, enabling them to detect volatile organic compounds associated with various types of cancer. Dognosis is pairing this biological capability with AI algorithms to standardise and scale the detection process.
The startup’s mission is to make early cancer detection accessible to far more people, particularly in regions where expensive diagnostic equipment is scarce. If successful, the approach could dramatically lower the cost barrier to early screening and improve outcomes for patients who currently go undiagnosed until advanced stages of the disease.
