Man's best friend and our most popular domestic pet, the dog is in the spotlight for its superior sniffing abilities. Used regularly for drug and explosive detection as well as tracking, the family pooch may now be able to detect life threatening cancers. Researchers have tested our ability to train dogs to recognise the smell of cancer in urine. As you will read the results are extremely encouraging, if not definitive.
Man’s best friend has long been heralded for their loyalty and companionship. Dogs of all shapes and sizes fit into millions of families around the world. There have been many instances of children dragged form the water by rescuing dogs or of the family pet alerting the family to fire. Even detecting seizures before they happen. Saving lives has taken a new turn in the canine community. Sniffer dogs have been in use for drug and explosive device detection for many years now. So it comes as no surprise that our favorite domestic animal is now being cited for it’s cancer sniffing abilities
This phenomenon was first noticed after three separate reports in the UK from owners having similar experiences with their pooches. In each case the dogs sniffed and licked around the trouble spots on their owners. Becoming so focused on these areas caused the owners to seek medical advice. It was revealed, in two of the cases, that rampant malignant melanoma’s were present. Without early detection, this cancer spreads and is often fatal. In the third case a slower growing, but nonetheless fatal tumor was discovered. These incidents were recorded in the 1980’s with the exception of one, being in 2001.
In the April 1st edition of The Lancet, a letter was published by doctors from the Dermatology Department of King's College Hospital, in London. They reported a patient’s dog had repeatedly sniffed one particular mole on her leg. The woman was found to have a malignant melanoma. Anyone who has had, or knows of, similar experiences are urged to contact the International Biotherapy Society, details are at the bottom of this article. They are hoping to have more research done. Scientists’ and trainers in the USA did train a dog to sniff out malignant melanoma with amazing success.
Bladder Cancer Detection
Recently, studies prompted scientists to find out if dogs could, indeed, be trained to sniff out the deadly disease. Over the course of seven months various breeds, six dogs in all, were put to the test. The experiment was carefully controlled and used urine from a known bladder cancer patient along with diluted specimens of cancer free samples. Plain water and specimens containing menstruation blood were also used.
The Spaniels did the best…but we are still keeping an open mind as to what breed of dog might be best said Claire Guest, the dog’s trainer.
The experiments used 36 male and female patients who had presented with new or recurring bladder cancer(27 samples used for training; 9 used for formal testing) plus 108 male and female controls (diseased and healthy, 54 samples used for training and formal testing.) The dogs had previously been trained to drop at the sample they had chosen as diseased. Placing samples randomly in a line, the trainer allowed the dog to sniff each sample until satisfied with choice. The samples were then moved and the dog chose again. All the test were recorded on video tape for analysis and the selections noted. On 22 out of 54 occasions, the dogs chose a sample with known cancer present.
They were having to pick out smells for bladder cancer amongst the hundreds in urine, and that’s no mean feat said Lead Researcher, Carol Willis.
This gave them a success rate of 41%. At best, the current detection rate is 14%. The dogs certainly proved that they had the ability to be trained to sniff out cancer. The findings appear in the British Medical Journal. Dr Willis also said "we are very excited because this is the first time this has been scientifically proven."
It seems dogs have these fantastic olfactory abilities and can recognize the signature odor of cancer. Scientists are not sure what it is that they smell. The dog’s trainer, Claire Guest, compared it to naming the contents of a soup. Researchers are making concerted efforts to try and identify exactly what it is that the dogs are smelling. There is the possibility that the dogs may be smelling proteins from the inflammation rather than the actual cancer. It is and area that will undergo further testing. They will also investigate the possibility of dogs picking up on other cancers like skin cancer and organ cancer. After the earlier reports of dogs identifying cancers, Dr Armand Cognetta a dermatologist in Tallahassee, Florida tested the melanoma-sniffing abilities of a dog named George. The dog was right 99% of the time. (There have been other similar experiments as well.) Although some reports have been made nothing has been scientifically proven. Once again, if you have any personal experiences please contact the International Biotherapy Society. The full results of the urine trials can be read on the website for the British Medical Journals at bmj.bmjjournals.com.
Dogs Save Life
Perhaps the most exciting and convincing part of all this is the continual return of all the dogs to one sample. This sample had been provided by a person who had recently undergone extensive testing for cancer. The dogs laid down beside the sample repeatedly. The researchers were so confident in their findings they requested the person be retested. Indeed a kidney carcinoma was found. This, on its own, is awesome. Already one life has been saved by this diagnostic tool. We can only assume that many more lives will be saved or prolonged due to the superior sniffing skills of a dog.
Take Notice of Your Pet. This certainly highlights the many values of owning a dog. Apart from being a wonderful companion and giving unconditional love, they also show a sixth sense beyond any imaginings. Please, if you notice your pet concentrating on a particular area, go see a doctor. It may seem silly but it may save your life. You will also find more information in the article section, trivia, at medhunters.com.
The International Biotherapy Society (IBS) aims to support the use and understanding of living organisms in the treatment of human and animal diseases.
Our Mission
In an era when many folk remedies are being rediscovered and the use of natural drugs is increasingly popular, we also witness a revival of the use of bacteria, protozoa, invertebrate animals such as fly larvae, bees and leeches in medical practice. The International Biotherapy Society (IBS) aims to support the use and understanding of living organisms in the treatment of human and animal diseases. The Society organizes international conferences for the exchange of information and ideas on subjects such as maggot debridement therapy, hirudotherapy, apitherapy and ichthiotherapy.