Latest Doctors News
Study suggests sniffer dogs can detect lung cancer
Published On: 18th August 2011
By: Elizabeth Smythe
Dogs can reliably 'sniff out' early human lung cancer, new research has found.
In incredible doctors news, scientists in Germany have found that dogs are able to detect chemicals which are present in the bodies of cancer sufferers, called volatile organic compounds.
In tests at Schillerhoehe Hospital, The Telegraph writes, the dogs were able to correctly identify 71 per cent of people with lung cancer and correctly dismiss 93 per cent of people who did not.
Study author, Thorsten Walles said: "In the breath of patients with lung cancer, there are likely to be different chemicals to normal breath sample and the dogs' keen sense of smell can detect this difference at an early stage of the disease. Our results confirm the presence of a stable marker for lung cancer.
"This is a big step forward in the diagnosis of lung cancer, but we still need to precisely identify the compounds observed in the exhaled breath of patients. It is unfortunate the dogs cannot communicate the biochemistry of the scent of cancer!"
As far back as 1989, it has been suggested that dogs could detect cancer chemicals; experiments for skin, bladder, bowel and breast cancer showed some success.
However, Cancer Research UK said that developing a dog screening campaign, while intriguing, was still "a long way off."
Commenting on behalf of the charity, Dr Laura McCallum told BBC News: "Because it would be extremely difficult to use dogs in the clinic, further research is being carried out to learn more about these molecules that are released from tumours and whether devices such as 'electronic noses' could help sniff them out."