Dogs Excel on Smell Test to Detect Cancer

[AGBF]

"The New York Times" article quoted below states that dogs have been able to detect lung cancer from the breath of victims with 99% accuracy.

"In the small world of people who train dogs to sniff cancer, a little-known Northern California clinic has made a big claim: that it has trained five dogs - three Labradors and two Portuguese water dogs - to detect lung cancer in the breath of cancer sufferers with 99 percent accuracy.

The study was based on well-established concepts. It has been known since the 80's that tumors exude tiny amounts of alkanes and benzene derivatives not found in healthy tissue.

Other researchers have shown that dogs, whose noses can pick up odors in the low parts-per-billion range, can be trained to detect skin cancers or react differently to dried urine from healthy people and those with bladder cancer, but never with such remarkable consistency.

The near-perfection in the clinic's study, as Dr. Donald Berry, the chairman of biostatistics at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, put it, 'is off the charts: there are no laboratory tests as good as this, not Pap tests, not diabetes tests, nothing.'"


Dogs Excel on Smell Test to Detect Cancer

 

[Mara]

I read about dogs being able to detect cancer in my ''How Dogs Think'' book..I think it''s great! Just imagine the possibilities.

Dogs rock!

 

[MissGotRocks]

I''ve read about this before and have seen a couple of things on tv too. In one, a dog kept licking a spot on a woman''s leg that turned out to be a tumor.

My little Yorkie Chloe ''kisses'' us all the time - I often wonder if she knows something we don''t! It is amazing what they can do with their sense of smell but a little frightening at the same time!

 

[monarch64]

AGBF, very interesting! I had read about this same thing a couple of years ago I believe regarding bladder cancer studies. Amazing, isn''t it, that man''s best friends (and women''s) are capable of things we never dreamed possible. It makes me look at my own dog with a whole new respect level.

When my best friend got pregnant last year, her dog (a beagle/basset hound mix) used to attach herself to my friend''s belly beginning when she was 3 months along...it was the strangest, yet sweetest thing. The dog herself had been "altered" and had never given birth to pups, so it wasn''t even like she knew from experience that her human owner was pregnant. It was almost like she was protecting the child, or just loving it, I don''t know. Who knows what thoughts go through doggie''s minds?!

What continually amazes me is these stories of animals who are entirely different species who kind of "adopt" each other, like the tortoise and the hippo, or most recently in Tokyo, I think, the hamster and snake. I grew up on a farm, and we had an Apaloosa mare who used to "take care" of the calves. She would single one out every year and kind of mentor it or something...it was so cute.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 1/18/2006 9:38:01 PM
Author: monarch64
What continually amazes me is these stories of animals who are entirely different species who kind of ''adopt'' each other, like the tortoise and the hippo, or most recently in Tokyo, I think, the hamster and snake. I grew up on a farm, and we had an Apaloosa mare who used to ''take care'' of the calves. She would single one out every year and kind of mentor it or something...it was so cute.

I received a series of "cute animal" photos recently (after the tortoise and the hippo photos), but I hadn''t planned to post them. Two of them show cross-species "adoptions". One photo (that has been around for a while) shows a fawn. (I think we even had a thread about it here in the past.) Another shows ducklings. Maybe I will work on getting them into posting format later today!

This study about dogs detecting lung cancer is new. Other cancers had been detected by dogs (but never with such accuracy) in the past. Apparently the scientific community has accepted this study and, given that the test worked 99% of the time, that is startling.

 

[fire&ice]

Date: 1/19/2006 5:40:40 AM
Author: AGBF

Date: 1/18/2006 9:38:01 PM
Author: monarch64

This study about dogs detecting lung cancer is new. Other cancers had been detected by dogs (but never with such accuracy) in the past. Apparently the scientific community has accepted this study and, given that the test worked 99% of the time, that is startling.

Actually Deb, that last part isn''t entirely true. I met George the Standard Schnauzer skin cancer sniffing dog. He started as a bomb sniffer. The cancer thing sort of happened. He was the pioneer of sorts. It was a bit controversial as some claim he was taking cues. The accuracy rate was skewed; but, it was not a supported idea at the time. His owner put a near 100% rate. Since then & around the time of, dogs have been more utilized in many things. They can smell stuff that we couldn''t even imagine. They are very intuitive when brought along to be so. They can be very effective as seizure warning dogs.

But, I am glad to see that the scientific community is embracing this more. At the time, only the very secure doctors were beginning to see the usefulness & accuracy of the dogs. With the skin cancer, diagnozies were being challenged - turned out rightfully so.

My female (Connecticut gal) is a distant relative.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 1/19/2006 9:46:20 AM
Author: fire&ice
Actually Deb, that last part isn't entirely true. I met George the Standard Schnauzer skin cancer sniffing dog. He started as a bomb sniffer. The cancer thing sort of happened. He was the pioneer of sorts. It was a bit controversial as some claim he was taking cues. The accuracy rate was skewed; but, it was not a supported idea at the time. His owner put a near 100% rate.

Thank you for this information! I may go read up on how George came to be used to detect skin cancer! Like others, I have read that dogs have been able to be trained to smell some cancers*, but I never heard that any dog had such a huge success rate! I do not think I ever knew about George, either!


*I do not mean they can be trained to smell cancers. Presumably any dog can smell cancer. It is being able to discern that that particular smell is important to humans and to communicate that, that is really at issue.

 

[fire&ice]

They can be trained to respond to the smell. That is where the training comes in.

The interesting thing about George was that he positived some whose doctors said their skin wasn't cancerous. Some got a second opinion & found that it was *George* who was correct. It was at the very beginning stages - that's how strong his nose was.

There probably should be some information on George if you google him. He was the most decorated of Standard Schnauzers - let alone dog - of our time. He did just about everything a dog could do. I think he was the first K-9 Standard. Since then, they do use them as they are effective in specialty situations.

Thanks for bringing the CA study to light. Dogs are remarkable creatures and are under utilized in our society. I'm a firm believer that one should put your dog to work.

Truth be, they are the happiest when they have a job. So, assign one before they pick their own.

 

[njc]

Truth be, they are the happiest when they have a job. So, assign one before they pick their own.

Like digging a hole to China in your back yard?

Actually, i am interested in seeing what it takes to have a therapy dog. I would really enjoy being able to do that with our mini schnauzer and she loves people.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 1/19/2006 12:19:58 PM
Author: njc
Actually, i am interested in seeing what it takes to have a therapy dog. I would really enjoy being able to do that with our mini schnauzer and she loves people.

Do you know fire&ice has a therapy dog? I would think she could tell you what you need to know to get started.

Deb

 

[njc]

I didnt know that Deb, thanks! I know there are tests and what not to pass... ill send her a PM!

 

[fire&ice]

Date: 1/19/2006 12:39:20 PM
Author: AGBF

Date: 1/19/2006 12:19:58 PM
Author: njc
Actually, i am interested in seeing what it takes to have a therapy dog. I would really enjoy being able to do that with our mini schnauzer and she loves people.

Do you know fire&ice has a therapy dog? I would think she could tell you what you need to know to get started.

Deb

Yep, though he is semi-retired.

You can research what is required by going to www.tdi-dog.org It''s the group that my pup is with. Therapy Dog International. Bascially, you have to get the dog''s Canine Good Citizen designation & then go to a testing spot - we have one in Richmond. I think there is an active group in F''burg. It was a training station a few years back for a division of TDI called - Disaster relief dogs. PM me if you need more info. You can visit many places w/o the certification - but this is a good way to see if you & your dog are good candidates.

 

[Mara]

Everytime I hear about this (which is great of course), I can''t help but think how creepy would it be if you were around one of the sniffing dogs and they signaled that you had something and wouldn''t give it up? Gosh I''d be so freaked out, esp with that kind of accuracy rate. But the sooner the better of course for finding out.

 

[njc]

Awesome... thanks so much!