Dogs can sniff colon cancer

Dogs are successfully used to detect colon cancer

01/02/2011

Dogs are able to detect colon cancer on the patient's breath. This has been found out by Japanese scientists in a comprehensive study.

For some time, the use of dogs in the diagnosis of various cancers has been researched. Now Japanese scientists have successfully used the good sense of smell of the four-legged for the first time for the colorectal cancer diagnosis. As part of the study, a dog recognized colorectal cancer disease from patients' breath and stool samples, even if the disease was only at an early stage.

Dogs recognize colon cancer at an early stage of the disease
The research team led by Hideto Sonoda of Kyushu University in Fukuoka has used an eight-year-old black Labrador Retriever in the current study for colorectal cancer diagnosis, who had learned in the dog training center to diagnose twelve types of cancer from the smell of the patient's breath. Scientists each took one breath sample containing 100-200 milliliters of exhaled air and one stool sample from the 306 study participants (48 with colorectal cancer diagnosis available, 258 healthy controls). The stool sample was taken in a colonoscopy as a 50 milliliter sample of liquid stool, filtered and stored frozen. Subsequently, the corresponding samples were submitted to the Labrador Retriever. The dog was to recognize the sample of the cancer patient among five samples presented - four from healthy study participants, one from a colon cancer patient. Before the sniff attempt, the diagnostic dog smelled each of a standard colorectal cancer sample. The result of the study has more than convinced the researchers. For example, in 37 out of 38 cases, the Labrador was able to successfully detect the cancer in the respiratory air samples. In stool samples, he was still correct in 33 out of 36 cases, the Japanese researchers report. In addition, the dog had reliably diagnosed colorectal cancer diseases at a very early stage of the disease.

Cancer diagnosis by detector for cancer-specific substances?
In previous studies, it has been repeatedly stated that dogs can recognize various cancers on the patient's breath, urine or stool. However, which chemical substances that can be smelled by dogs in the case of cancer is still unclear. In the body of cancer patients, according to the Japanese researchers, volatile compounds must develop which the dog can smell and which would also be suitable for a diagnosis by means of other detectors. If the organic compounds could be identified, the development of a sensor would be conceivable that detects the disease-typical substances. This odor sensor could be used as part of the check-up, so the hope of the scientists of Kyushu University. In the future, the detection of cancer-specific, volatile organic compounds could be an integral part of the early detection of colorectal carcinoma (colon cancer), said Hideto Sonoda and colleagues. Thus, the currently common stool blood test (guaiac test) could be replaced, the sensitivity (sensitivity) of only about 20 to 40 percent compared to colorectal carcinoma anyway only a limited significance. Despite their reliable diagnostic capabilities, the direct use of dogs for screening is unlikely , This is too expensive and impractical so the statement of the Japanese researchers.

Colon cancer second most common cancer in Germany
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in Germany. Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women. Across Germany, more than six percent of the population suffer from colon cancer during their lifetime. The colorectal carcinomas usually originate from initially benign intestinal polyps and initially cause only rarely striking symptoms. It would be all the more important in the context of the check-up to be able to detect colon cancer based on disease-specific substances already in the early stage of the disease. Because the prospects of successful treatment are directly related to the stage of the disease in which the colorectal cancer is diagnosed, and early diagnosis significantly increases the chances of a cure for the patients. (Fp)

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Picture: Uschi Dreiucker