Non-invasive multiple cancer screening using trained detection canines and artificial intelligence: a prospective double-blind study

• Published in: Scientific reports 2024-11, Vol.14 (1), p.28204-10, Article 28204
• Main Authors: Half, Elizabeth, Ovcharenko, Adelina, Shmuel, Ronit, Furman-Assaf, Sharon, Avdalimov, Milana, Rabinowicz, Assaf, Arber, Nadir
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 631/67; 631/67/1347; 631/67/1504; 631/67/1504/1885; 631/67/1612; 631/67/2322; 631/67/589/466; Adult; Aged; Artificial Intelligence; Biopsy; Breast; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - diagnosis; Cancer; Cancer screening; Colorectal; Colorectal carcinoma; Colorectal Neoplasms - diagnosis; Detection canines; Dogs; Double-Blind Method; Double-blind studies; Early Detection of Cancer - methods; Female; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Invasiveness; Lung; Lung cancer; Lung Neoplasms - diagnosis; Male; Malignancy; Medical screening; Middle Aged; multidisciplinary; Neoplasms - diagnosis; Prospective Studies; Prostate; Prostate cancer; Prostatic Neoplasms - diagnosis; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sensitivity and Specificity
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-79383-2

The specificity and sensitivity of a simple non-invasive multi-cancer screening method in detecting breast, lung, prostate, and colorectal cancer in breath samples were evaluated in a double-blind study. Breath samples of 1386 participants (59.7% males, median age 56.0 years) who underwent screening for cancer using gold-standard screening methods, or a biopsy for a suspected malignancy were collected. The samples were analyzed using a bio-hybrid platform comprising trained detection canines and artificial intelligence tools. According to cancer screening/biopsy results, 1048 (75.6%) were negative for cancer and 338 (24.4%) were positive. Among the 338 positive samples, 261 (77.2%) were positive for one of the four cancer types that the bio-hybrid platform was trained to detect, with an overall sensitivity and specificity of 93.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 90.3-96.2%) and 94.3% (95% CI 92.7%-95.5%), respectively. The sensitivity of each cancer type was similar; breast: 95.0% (95% CI 87.8-98.0%), lung: 95.0% (95% CI 87.8-98.0%), colorectal: 90.0% (95% CI 74.4-96.5%), prostate: 93.0% (95% CI 84.6-97.0%). The sensitivity of 14 other malignant tumors that the bio-hybrid platform was not trained to detect, but identified, was 81.8% (95% CI 71.8%-88.8%). Early cancer (0–2) detection sensitivity was 94.8% (95% CI 91.0%-97.1%). This bio-hybrid multi-cancer screening platform demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity and enables early-stage cancer detection.