Dogs can sniff out more than food.
A new study reportedly suggests that dogs can be trained to sniff out thyroid cancer in patients that hadn’t been diagnosed with it, according to the website The Monitor Daily.
Tests on 34 patients reportedly showed an 88% success rate in dogs finding tumors, according to BBC News.
“The capability of dogs to smell minute amounts is unbelievable,” stated Dr. Donald Bodenner, the chief of endocrine oncology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
He added, “The medical community over the next few years is going to have a great appreciation [for them].”
For the study, Frankie the German Shepherd was reportedly trained to lie down when he could smell thyroid cancer in a sample and turn away if the urine was clean. After Frankie made the rounds, it was reportedly discovered that there were two false positives and two patients who would’ve been given incorrect diagnoses.
Now that Frankie has shown the world just how powerful a dog’s nose can be, researchers are reportedly now trying to use their new discovery by creating an “electronic nose.”
“We would like to know what Frankie is smelling, nobody knows,” explained Bodenner.
Although Cancer Research UK has reportedly stated that using dogs would be impractical, knowing what chemicals the dogs are smelling could lead to new tests.
“There are many patients who are reluctant to undergo fine needle aspiration so I think that if you could design a technique where you have no invasive procedure that can have tremendous widespread appeal,” stated Jason Wexler, an endocrinologist in Washington D.C.
