There are two things we all know about dogs:
- One is that they are man’s best friends.
- And the other one is that they often smell prodigious.
But I knew that Are there dogs that can detect breast cancer?
The smell of dogs in the service of man
The formidable smell of dogs has enabled them to discover countless things with due training., including some related to people’s health.
Recently, news has become known about dogs capable of detecting different types of cancer through smell.
For this reason, the Curie Institute in Paris has been supporting research focusing on breast cancer. It starts from the premise that dogs can perceive the odor that different cancer cells exude.
In France, there is a project aimed at, thanks to the great smell they have, dogs can detect breast cancer. It is a simple, noninvasive, painless and low-cost method.
A simple and economical method for detecting breast cancer
(Dogs that know how to detect breast cancer)
After raising the funds needed to carry out the Kdog Project, conducted by a multidisciplinary team of doctors, pathologists, chemists and training specialists, it was possible to get to work so that the canine smell is at the service of medical progress.
The goal is for dogs to be able to detect breast cancer early and with a method:
- Reliable
- Simple
- Non-invasive
- Painless
- Low cost
The idea is that this methodology is used for all types of cancer. But in addition, it can be adapted and reproduced in emerging countries with less economic resources. A more than commendable initiative.
Details about the Kdog project
At first, clinicians and pathologists took care to sample tumors.
In a second step, the samples are obtained directly from compresses placed on the skin of the patients. That way, we seek to achieve “transcutaneous”, noninvasive and painless detection.
To get that, the dogs – Thor and Nykios – received intensive training to learn to identify the odor of cancer cells.
These are two specimens of Belgian pastor Malinois, who were under the responsibility of trainer Jacky Experton.
How trained Thor and Nykios are
Animals are trained daily. For example, they have to sniff out two sets of towels. One of them belongs to women suffering from breast cancer. But not the other group. Dogs should identify samples of cancer cells. And so they get a reward.
The way to learn from these dogs is through a game. And the most fun of all is that they always get a prize.
In the video you can watch some images of Thor’s training.
A method that seems to be destined to be a success thanks to the smell of dogs
According to Isabelle Fromatin, a doctor specializing in scars that cancerous tumors leave, the idea was born from the discovery of the fact that some of these wounds smell.
“ In the experience, we noticed that some of the volatile compounds smelling were not linked to infectious phenomena or to the metabolism of the person, but that they were emitted by the tumor itself”, explained the researcher of the Curie Institute.
Scientists are excited and, In the US, a similar experience, but to detect prostate cancer, achieved a success rate of more than 90%..
Other data on French research
Source: KDONG Cancer Detect Group
The patients participating in the study were offered a kit to take home. The kit contained:
- Odourless Shower Gel
- Towels
- Sterilised pot
The women participating put these towels on the breast all night.
Then the samples are sent to the region of Haute-Vienne, in the center of France, when Thor and Nykios take action, two fantastic dogs that help us not forget all that good they can do to humans daily.
Photo Source: Facebook Kdog Cancer Detect Group