Anyone who has owned a dog know how keen their sense of smell is. They have been deployed for their keen sense of scent detection for many years and for multiple uses, including: agriculture detection, bomb and narcotics detection, criminal apprehension, money detection, contraband, missing persons, police, seizure detection, and bedbugs. There are research centers involved in training cancer detection dogs in the US, Canada, and England. Dogs trained at these facilities have demonstrated as high as 98% accuracy for specific cancers, far exceeding the rates of accuracy of methods currently used and considered the “gold standard” cancer screening methods
In 2004, the principle study conducted in the UK proved that dogs could be trained to detect cancer in humans. The cancer detection dogs have proven that they can accurately detect specific types of cancer through breath, blood or urine. Scientists theorize the dogs are smelling the minute odors of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). Taking a breath sample is simple and non-invasive. Using dogs to accurately screen for cancer can, and we believe will, transform the way we approach the diagnosis of the disease. Our experience is that a cancer diagnosis often serves as a wake-up call for improvement in life-style as well as treatment, thus also increasing the odds of a successful outcome.