Researchers have come to a fascinating conclusion following a series of studies connecting dogs with lung cancer. A variety of breeds of canines were exposed to a mixed group of people, people who were troubled with lung cancer and those who were healthy. The conclusions of this experiment revealed that there is a particular smell associated with lung cancer patients that can be detected by canines. Based upon a Verterinarynews.com report, a scientific journal published that a particular VOC (volatile organic compound) is present in the breath of a patient suffering with lung cancer. The set of studies were executed between December 2009 and April 2010.

The study

This research involved over two hundred patients who were segregated separated into three different groups depending on their health condition. Of the two hundred and twenty people participating in these studies, one hundred and ten enjoyed a healthy body, sixty suffered with lung cancer and fifty people had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). People suspected of cancer or enduring other forms of cancer weren’t included in this research. Different kinds of canines that were taking part in this investigation were mainly German Shepherds, and the remaining were Labrador retrievers and Australian Shepherds.

The results

With the original theory that distinct chemicals were generated in the breath of persons suffering from lung cancer, these dogs were subjected to the smells of all individuals. The rate of success of this test was astonishing, with the canines properly distinguishing traces signs of lung cancer over seven out of ten times. The seventy-one percent hit rate revealed that dogs are capable of pinpointing lung cancer based on smell. Even though the research revealed tremendously accurate results, these dogs were not particularly sharp at knowing discrepancies between smells given out by smoking and COPD.   

The challenges posed

Although the scientific study began in December 2009, the six month long experiment needed to be redone because the scientists uncovered an important trait in the dogs. In the midst of the study, the scientists noticed that the canines were capable of memorizing scents of different individuals. They then introduced a new measure so that each dog was exposed to each scent only once throughout the study. It was believed that the dogs were not able to remember smells of over 200 individuals in a period of six months. The accuracy and precision of the results astonished the scientists as a single scent could contain above 3,000 chemical compounds, implying that dogs had the distinctive capability of detecting lung cancer.

To delve deeper into this extraordinary finding, the scientists now will establish this hypothesis by separating each scent and compound, and testing the canines again. By using advanced sensor technologies, scientists hope to arrive at a verifiable conclusion. They also plan to evaluate whether dogs are capable of detecting other forms of cancer and their accuracy. At this time, the analysts think that the smell these wonder Labrador retrievers and German Shepherds are detecting could originate from the lung cancer medication given to the patients. Analysts wish to reach a concrete conclusion after carefully reviewing each scent given out by a chemical compound and each dog’s ability to detect it.