Dogs Used To Detect Ovarian Cancer In Early Stages

One of the primary dangers of ovarian cancer is with the lack of early detection. As a result, researchers are looking for possible detection techniques in all manner of places, some of them highly unusual. A report on Consumer Affairs tells of new research that shows that dogs have the ability to detect cancer by sense of smell.

What a group of researchers have found that a dog’s sense of smell alongside DNA analysis as means of detecting ovarian cancer in its early stages. The dogs were trained within a laboratory setting to smell for cancer, receiving a reward upon successful detection. Material known as volatile organic compounds (VOC), or odorants are changed in the early stages of ovarian cancer. Trained dogs working in tandem with electronic detection devices have been able to pick upon these odorants in very small quantities. The dogs trained in detection have a 90% accuracy rate, and with their ability to find odorants at such a low level makes them very valuable for early detection. Ovarian cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer death among women, but with early diagnosis, the survival rate is more than 90% over

a 5-year period. With more 80% of patients being diagnosed in the late stages, all forms of detection can be a valuable weapon towards fighting the disease. The research is an ongoing project between the Working Dog Center at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, the physics and astronomy departments at Penn as well as the school’s Gynecologic Oncology division.