Israeli Firm Develops Cancer Detection Technology Using Breath Analysis

SpotitEarly develops home cancer test using breath analysis and AI.

Biotechnology company SpotitEarly has embarked on developing a home cancer test based on human breath analysis. The technology combines canine olfaction with artificial intelligence algorithms, reports TechCrunch.

Creating comprehensive methods for early cancer detection is key to saving the most lives. SpotitEarly CEO Shlomi Madar believes dogs can assist in this effort. He asserts that they can be trained to detect diseases, including cancer, through human scent.

“There are many stories from dog owners about their pets sensing something amiss long before a diagnosis,” he noted.

Madar, along with three friends, developed a method and technology for cancer detection through breath analysis.

Users can undergo testing by collecting a sample at home and sending it to the company’s laboratory. It employs 18 specially trained beagles that can distinguish cancer-specific scents.

If a dog detects disease-related particles, the sample is passed to an AI platform for confirmation and interpretation.

“We have cameras installed above in the lab. There’s a microphone that records the dogs’ breathing patterns. We also monitor their heart rate. Essentially, machine learning knows the ‘baseline norm’ of the entire pack. This makes the system more accurate than just a handler’s observation,” Madar explained.

According to a study published in Nature, the analysis accuracy is 94%. The test involved 1,400 participants and targeted the detection of four common cancer types: breast, colorectal, prostate, and lung.

Founded in Israel in 2020, SpotitEarly announced its entry into the U.S. market in May 2025, securing $20.3 million in investments from Hanaco VC, Menomedin VC, Jeff Schwartz, and Avishai Abrahami.

The capital will be used to expand clinical trials.

Madar stated that home screening kits will be available in the future, with each test costing approximately $250.

Earlier in September, scientists developed an AI tool to predict over 1,000 diseases and forecast health changes up to 10 years ahead.