We all know that dogs are awesome. And here’s another reason: in one UK hospital, they’re going to be used to sniff out cancer.
A trial of whether dogs can smell if someone has cancer has been so successful that it’s being rolled out in the UK’s National Health Service.
Emma Jeffery/Medical Detection Dogs/PA Wire
Charity Medical Detection Dogs will begin introducing its specially trained dogs to patients at Milton Keynes Hospital after a study found the canines correctly detected prostate cancer in urine in 93% of cases.
Emma Jeffery/Medical Detection Dogs/PA Wire
The traditional Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test has a notoriously high “false positive,” meaning that many men have to undergo a painful biopsy.
Consultant urologist Mr Iqbal Anjum explained: “Over the years there have been many anecdotal reports suggesting that dogs may be able to detect cancer based on the tumour’s odour.”
Emma Jeffery/Medical Detection Dogs/PA Wire
“It is assumed that volatile molecules associated with the tumour would be released into the person’s urine, making samples easy to collect and test.”