A dog’s sense of smell has been measured as 10,000 to 100,000 times superior to a human’s.
The idea that a dog can sniff out the presence of various cancers is now being taken seriously by scientists. Now formal studies are being conducted and the results are very promising.
Bonding with a Friend
Cancer Detection
There was a 2006 Pine Street Foundation report that involved 5 dogs who had been trained to recognize lung and breast cancer from human-breath samples. Their accuracy rate was 88% in correctly spotting breast cancer and a whopping 99% accuracy rate for detecting lung cancer. In addition, these percentages are similar to the accuracy rates of CT scans, X-rays, and mammography.
Scientists are trying to find a way to harness this great ability canine’s have into an early detection test for cancer. Another project being developed is an artificial nose which would contain finely tuned sensors that react to cancer. Instead of assessing breath samples, the electronic nose analyzes cells for malignancy.
Most recent testing being conducted is for the ability to detect ovarian cancer, brain cancer, and lung cancer. An early diagnosis for these cancers would save many lives since there are few symptoms in the early stages and they are difficult to treat in the more advanced stages.
Other Medical Conditions Detected by Dogs
Some service dogs are trained to discern impending hypoglycemic attacks or epileptic seizures. They are trained to warn their owners to an impending incident.
How Are Dogs Taught?
Any basic household dog can be taught to detect cancer with only 3 weeks of behavioral training. To qualify the dog as a cancer screener, the dog must correctly identify samples 30 times in a row. In addition, they must be well behaved and not easily distracted.
Skepticism
As with any new medical development, some experts are undecided about the value of these tests. It’s agreed that further testing is needed before everyone is convinced.
My Opinion
Since I’ve owned dogs though out most of my adult life, I find this medical development very easy to believe and it seems very logical. Not only do dogs have an exceptional super snout for smells, they are also sensitive to humans in other ways.
If you have owned a dog, you have probably experienced the change in your dog when someone in the household is sick. Yes, a fever and other signs might alert the dog senses, but we all know that you can associate a bad smell to someone who is extremely unhealthy. Think about infections and gangrene. It’s not surprising that if we have a cancer, a sickness on the inside, that our breath smell would reflect the problem.
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