| You might be surprised to hear that there are | | | | cancer is five years. This is partly because by the |
| dogs that can detect cancer. Some dogs can | | | | time a woman starts having symptoms, the |
| even detect cancer with greater accuracy than | | | | cancer has usually progressed to a more |
| can sophisticated medical equipment. This was | | | | advanced state and is harder to treat. |
| first tested with lung cancer. Dogs who detect | | | | Sometimes traditional medical tests can find this |
| cancer do so via breath samples, and there is a | | | | form of cancer early, but not always. If it is |
| connection between breath and lung cancer | | | | possible for a dog to smell ovarian cancer before |
| obviously. | | | | a test could find it, this would greatly increase the |
| Dogs detect lung cancer via breath with a | | | | patient's chances for successful treatment. |
| ninety-nine percent rate. Breast cancer detection | | | | The same can be said of other types of cancers. |
| rates are lower but still good, at eighty-eight | | | | Lung cancer survival rates are also strongly |
| percent. Next, researchers are testing whether | | | | dependent on how early the cancer is found. |
| dogs can detect ovarian cancer. | | | | Breast cancer can be this way too, some forms |
| Dogs are trained and tested using breath samples | | | | are aggressive and grow quickly. Mammograms |
| kept in identical boxes. Some of the dogs really | | | | can detect tumors before we can find them with |
| love doing this, so to keep them from flinging the | | | | self-exam, but it would be even better if you |
| sample boxes around the lab the researchers | | | | could find the presence of cancer before it could |
| weigh the boxes down with bits of concrete. | | | | be picked up by mammogram. |
| For the tests, four dogs were used and they had | | | | Be careful if you are taking or considering taking |
| to accurately identify the correct sample thirty | | | | herbal supplements. There are no herbal remedies |
| times. This testing is being done by Michael | | | | for cancer of any kind. Some herbs may help, but |
| McCulloch of the Pine Street Foundation, | | | | this is something you will need to discuss with |
| partnered with the University of Maine. | | | | your doctor and oncologist. Don't think that just |
| Why bother with dogs for cancer detection? It's | | | | because herbal supplements aren't prescription |
| all about survival rate, and how quickly a cancer is | | | | medicine that they are harmless - some actually |
| detected. This is especially the case with ovarian | | | | can interact with chemotherapy medication. |
| cancer. The general survival rate for ovarian | | | | |