Diag-Nose

2022: Announcement

In early December 2022, it became known about the creation of the Diag-Nose system, designed to detect biomarkers of prostate cancer in the urine. This technology, created by the Milan Polytechnic University, was a continuation of previous research, during which it was found that trained sniffer dogs can accurately detect prostate cancer.

For several decades, scientists have watched sniffer dogs effectively detect several different cancers. These findings subsequently formed the basis for the development of E-Nose technology - sensors designed to determine the various volatile organic compounds (VOCs) responsible for odors. In 2015, a study led by Gianluigi Taverna was published considering whether dogs could be trained to detect prostate cancer by simply sniffing a patient's urine. A seminal study found that dogs can actually detect prostate cancer from urine.

New 'electronic nose' sniffs urine at prostate cancer detection

The project, dubbed Diag-Nose, created a prototype electronic nose system designed to detect specific volatile organic compounds in urine that were associated with patients' positive response to prostate cancer. A new study published in the International Journal of Urology presents the results of the first preliminary tests of this new technology.

At Diag-Nose, just under 200 urine samples were collected, half of which were taken from patients with confirmed prostate cancer and half from a healthy control group. The e-nose system demonstrated 85% accuracy in detecting prostate cancer samples. The system also demonstrated 79% specificity, meaning one in five healthy patients tested positive for prostate cancer. While this is a relatively high percentage of false positives, the researchers suggest that when combined with other tools such as blood tests and biopsies, the E-Nose system could help some patients avoid unnecessary invasive procedures. Tavern and colleague Fabio Grizzi also believe the technology will improve as it is further refined and larger trials are planned to confirm its potential.^[1]

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