Dogs trained to 'sniff out' cancer

LONDON. March 17. KAZINFORM A Buckinghamshire scientist whose dog apparently "sniffed out" her breast cancer is leading research to see if a breath test for its detection is possible.

Medical Detection Dogs chief executive Dr Claire Guest was training dogs to detect other cancers, when she said one of them "started to warn her".

She was subsequently found to have an early stage breast tumour.

Now in remission, Dr Guest is training dogs to recognise the cancer from a breath sample, in the hope an electronic nose can be developed.

Medical Detection Dogs is a charity that works with researchers, NHS Trusts and universities to train specialist dogs to detect the odour of human disease.

The charity was started in 2004 after a letter from Dr John Church to medical journal The Lancet claimed dogs could detect bladder cancer.

Dr Guest said stories of dogs finding their owners' cancer had been reported for a while.

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