If you are already used to your dog recognizing when you are sick, and even trying to comfort or take care of you, you may not be surprised by the SpotItEarly concept. The start-up trains dogs to differentiate, through scent, between healthy and unhealthy persons. The company claims that dogs can be accurate in detecting cancer, and can do so far earlier than existing diagnostic systems, which are also much more expensive, less accessible, and certainly less pleasant. Obviously, petting a pooch is the cheapest, simplest, and most pleasant way imaginable to perform cancer screening.
