Canine cancer detection
Canine cancer detection is an approach to cancer screening that relies upon the olfactory ability of dogs to detect, in urine or in breath, very low concentrations of the alkanes and aromatic compounds generated by tumors.
Background
It is claimed that dogs can detect some substances in the region of parts per trillion and evolutionary theories explaining the ability of dogs to detect human cancers have been proposed.[1][2]
Research
Although the first suggestion of this approach in a medical journal, The Lancet, dates back to 1989,[3] there were only occasional publications on the subject in the next decade.[4]
However, two studies (one published in 2004[5][6][7] and one in 2006), involving detection in urine, had promising results, with the 2006 report claiming a 99% accuracy in detecting lung cancer,[8] although both studies were preliminary and involved small numbers of patients.
In a 2011 study, lung cancer was identified with a sensitivity of 71% and a specificity of 93%, using breath samples.[9] Other studies, also with breath samples, have found promising results.[10]
Application
There are two proposed benefits, assuming that further studies corroborate the initial results.
- Some researchers believe that dogs will become integrated directly into patient care, akin to their use in detecting bombs and drugs, as well as locating missing people.
- Others recommend that the skill of dogs in detecting cancer would be more appropriately confined to labs, where gas chromatographs could be used to isolate which specific compounds the dogs identified. Recent developments include a simple breathalyser which changes colour according to the compounds in the breath, indicating the presence of cancer.[11]
See also
References
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External links
- Pine Street Foundation - Information and FAQs on Canine Scent Detection of Cancer at pinestreetfoundation.org
- NYTimes - "Dogs Excel on Smell Test to Find Cancer" at The New York Times
- NYTimes - Dogs and Their Fine Noses Find New Career Path at The New York Times
- Dr Dog, the cancer specialist at The Sunday Times[dead link]
- Dogs Smell Cancer in Patients' Breath at National Geographic
- "Cancer-Detecting Dogs". CNN transcript. February 7, 2006.
- "Man's best friend may hold key to sniffing out certain cancers" at San Francisco Business Times
- "Sniffing out cancer" at Pacific Sun
