Can dogs really smell cancer?

Factual Questions
1

Can dogs really smell cancer?

I heard on the radio that someone is training dogs to sniff peoples’ breath to see if they have lung cancer. The thing sounded impossible to me at first, then the guy got into it and I was buying it, but he ended up saying the trainer ran an accupuncture clinic.

Any idea if there’s anything to this at all?

2

I’ve seen documentaries on this. Although I remember the guy who was doing it had some sort of legitimate background in either medicine or dog breeding. He taped samples containing cancerous cells to a person who was lying down, and the dogs could usually pick out the cancerous sample.

It’s still in the development stage, but a lot of medical societies have expressed an interest in this stuff.

I think it might even be possible. After all, dogs can sniff out bombs, drugs, and sausage through a closed refrigerator door. :wink:

3

I can’t answer the OP, but one of my GF’s horses had penile cancer. When he “dropped” (that is, the normally-sheathed penis drops out for urination), along with his penis would come an orange-sized peduncle growth–which was decidedly foul-smelling.

So. . . I don’t know how effective the dog stuff will be, but it doesn’t sound implausible, based on my limited experience.

4

Gonna take a while to get that image out of my head. . .

5

I saw a news report demonstrating how a dog was able to sniff out melanoma (deadly skin cancer).

6

Awhile back I remember seeing a show about dogs who were able to sense when their owners were about to have a heart-attack. They were trained to alert their owners so that they could take medicine before the attack ever happened.

It was a neat program–they were also making the point that just having a pet can be good for the heart, anyway. One guy they focused on had gone into a deep depression because his severe heart condition had made life almost unlivable. But his new pal brought light and activity back into his life again, not to mention saving said life a few times.

I wish I could remember exactly what show it was. Dateline or something. Or maybe something on the Animal Planet?

BTW, aren’t dogs wonderful creatures? :slight_smile: