Hunter's success for Ovarian Cancer Trial Validation

K9MD Hunter has completed his Proof-of-Concept validation for the detection of Ovarian cancer. Hunter checked 300 samples over 4 days in a blind randomized trial designed and analysed by biostatistician Dr Vanessa Cave. His results were: 96% sensitivity (correctly identifying samples with cancer) and 100% specificity (correctly ignoring samples that did not have cancer).

Hunter now joins K9MD Hogan (100% success) as New Zealand’s only Ovarian cancer detection dogs and their trial results are world leading. In New Zealand every 48 hours one woman dies from Ovarian cancer. Women diagnosed with stage 3 Ovarian cancer have a five-year survival rate of just 27%. This is compared with a survival rate of 90% if detected at stage 1.

Both Hunter and Hogan now commence the second stage of their training working with patient urine samples.