A new olfactory method for detecting breast cancer

Dogs are able to sniff out disease from material that has come into contact with a breast affected by cancer. These unusual, yet promising, results were published at the end of March. After just six months of training, a pair of German Shepherds were able to detect cancer with 100% accuracy. This method is simple, inexpensive, and non-invasive. It could revolutionize cancer detection in countries (especially rural areas) where mammograms are difficult to obtain. Researchers also hope that in the future, dogs will be replaced by specialized sniffing machines. Sensitive dog noses can sniff out disease Researchers led by Isabelle Fromantin based their study on the premise that dogs can detect the altered scent of cancer cells . They collected samples from 31 women with cancer. These samples included pieces of bandages that had been in contact with the cancer-affected breast. With the help of a canine specialist, the team trained two German Shepherds – Thor and Nykios – to distinguish cancerous tissues from healthy tissues. The training was based on play and rewards. After six months of training, the dogs were tested. The trials used 31 bandages from patients other than those on which the dogs were trained. For every cancerous sample, three healthy ones were used. Each bandage was placed in a box with a large cone, into which the dogs stuck their noses. The test was conducted twice. The first trial resulted in a 90% accuracy rate – the dogs recognized 28 of the 31 infected materials. The second trial was completely successful – the dogs demonstrated 100% accuracy . The next stage of research will be clinical trials involving more patients and two other dogs.