Tuesday, February 11, 2025
35.4 F
Roseville

Cancer Detecting Dogs: Non-Invasive Approach of the Future?

Sacramento, Calif. – UC Davis clinicians are hoping to greatly advance cancer screenings with the innate olfactory skills of man’s best friend.

A university team of physicians, veterinarians and animal behaviorists has begun training a pair of very special canines who may represent high-tech health care on four feet in the effort to better screen for cancer, especially at early stages of the disease.

About 4-months old, the puppies Alfie (a Labradoodle) and Charlie (a German Shepherd) are currently undergoing a rigorous twelve-month training program to develop their abilities to identify the scent of cancer in samples of saliva, breath and urine.

According to sensory scientists, the olfactory acuity of dogs enables them to detect odorant concentration levels at 1 to 2 parts per trillion, roughly 10,000 to 100,000 times that of a human. UC Davis physicians and researchers believe Alfie and Charlie have the potential to add an important diagnostic element to patient care. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, and early detection of the disease gives patients the best chance of survival.

“For the past number of years, we have been developing very high-end, expensive new tests to try and detect the presence of cancer,” said Ralph de Vere White, distinguished professor of urology and director of the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center.  “Dogs have been doing this, detecting disease in the urine of people suspected of having bladder cancer, for example. This work marries sophisticated technology with low-tech, yet sophisticated, dogs’ noses to see if they can help us identify the molecules that differentiate cancer from non-cancer.”

Hilary Brodie, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Otolaryngology, hopes that the identification of these molecules will lead to innovative and readily available methods of detection.

“Much like the hand-held devices used to detect alcohol, drugs and explosives have revolutionized our safety, having a new tool to detect early-stage cancer would have incredible benefits for patient care,” noted Brodie, whose department treats many head, neck and throat cancer patients.

Researchers have established that dogs can recognize melanoma as well as bladder, lung, breast and ovarian cancers. Canines have been successfully trained to distinguish the breath samples of lung and breast cancer patients from those of healthy volunteers. Such promising results have cancer experts at UC Davis enthusiastic about the potential for the dogs to represent a safe, noninvasive method for detecting cancer before it is too late.

Current cancer screening methods frequently result in the disease being identified at a later stage, often past the so-called golden hour when treatment is most effective and when the cases aren’t as challenging.

“Identifying patients at earlier stages could be extremely helpful in the fight against cancer,” said Gregory Farwell, professor of otolaryngology and director of the university’s Head and Neck Oncology and Microvascular Surgery program.

Alfie and Charlie are being trained by Dina Zaphiris, director of the In Situ Foundation in Chico, California. Zaphiris has trained more than two dozen dogs in their ability to detect cancer. As in training for drug and explosives detection, the UC Davis canines are learning how to distinguish samples from cancer patients and healthy individuals. According to Zaphiris, almost any dog can be trained to detect cancer. She prefers German Shepherds, Labradors, poodles and herding breeds because of their work ethic.

Alfie and Charlie’s human-cancer screening work will begin in early 2016 with a clinical trial to establish the safety and efficacy of the new diagnostic canine approach. UC Davis physicians say their ultimate goal is to bring more comprehensive cancer-screening capabilities to the public.

“Despite all the advances of modern medicine, we still can’t reliably detect many types of cancers in their early stages,” said Peter Belafsky, professor of otolaryngology and a physician who often deals with cases involving advanced cancer. “Our new canine colleagues represent a unique weapon in the battle against cancer. It’s the first of its kind at UC Davis, and the dogs’ incredible talent for scent detection could offer us humans a real jump on diagnosing cancer much earlier and thus save many more lives.”



Brighter Side

Trending

Job Opening: Sr. Manager, Data Management

5 yrs exp. design, modify, dvlp., write & implement software programming apps & code software. BS deg req’d.

LA-Z-Boy Home Furnishings & Décor in Roseville

Transform your living room and bedroom with La-Z-Boy's comfortable home furniture. Shop for sofas, couches, recliners, chairs, tables, mattress in a box, and more today.

Roseville Pleasant Grove Creek Trail closure for critical repairs

Roseville, Calif. - The trail crossing over Pleasant Grove Creek is closed for critical repairs between Old Coach Drive/Phillips Park and the Orchard View Road trailhead parking lot.

RG Philips Park in Roseville

RG Philips Park "This 6.5 acre park features a children’s...

Roseville welcomes US Quadball West Coast National Qualifier to Maidu Park

Roseville, Calif. - Quadball, an action-packed sport that evolved from the Harry Potter novels, will hold its only West Coast national qualifier Saturday, Feb. 8, and Sunday, Feb. 9 at Maidu Regional Park in Roseville.

Topics

Job Opening: Sr. Manager, Data Management

5 yrs exp. design, modify, dvlp., write & implement software programming apps & code software. BS deg req’d.

LA-Z-Boy Home Furnishings & Décor in Roseville

Transform your living room and bedroom with La-Z-Boy's comfortable home furniture. Shop for sofas, couches, recliners, chairs, tables, mattress in a box, and more today.

Roseville Pleasant Grove Creek Trail closure for critical repairs

Roseville, Calif. - The trail crossing over Pleasant Grove Creek is closed for critical repairs between Old Coach Drive/Phillips Park and the Orchard View Road trailhead parking lot.

RG Philips Park in Roseville

RG Philips Park "This 6.5 acre park features a children’s...

Roseville welcomes US Quadball West Coast National Qualifier to Maidu Park

Roseville, Calif. - Quadball, an action-packed sport that evolved from the Harry Potter novels, will hold its only West Coast national qualifier Saturday, Feb. 8, and Sunday, Feb. 9 at Maidu Regional Park in Roseville.

The Crepe Stop in Roseville

The Crepe Stop in Roseville. Savory & Sweet. Crepes, Pancakes, Waffles, Gelato, Boba Tea.

Roseville Today Super Bowl party picks for Eagles and Chiefs game

Roseville, Calif.- This Sunday at the Superdome in New Orleans, the Philadelphia take on the Chiefs in Super Bowl 59. A super-sized rematch and unofficial national holiday of $8 million dollar commercials, food and drink and a little football.

Quarry Oaks Apartments in Rocklin

Quarry Oaks Apartments in Rocklin, Calif.

Related Articles

Local Spotlight

Mobley Pest Services in Roseville serving the community and region for over 20 years

Roseville, Calif.- Fully licensed and bonded, Mobley Pest Services in Roseville has been providing reliable pest control services for well over 20 years. Serving residents and businesses in the greater Placer and Sacramento region, Mobley Pest Services is locally owned and operated in Roseville.

NorCal Solar and Gutter Cleaning in Roseville: Keeping Your Home Safe and Efficient

Roseville, Calif. - NorCal Solar and Gutter Cleaning, founded in 2019 by Brian Rykhlyuk shortly after graduating from Roseville High School, has quickly become a trusted name in the community for gutter cleaning and solar panel maintenance services.

Making a Splash in Roseville at Steve Wallen Swim School

Roseville, Calif. - Steve Wallen Swim School in Roseville teaches swim lessons and water safety for infants, kids, and adults of all skill levels.