Did you know that Firefighters are nearly twice as likely to develop cancer than the general public!
They risk their lives for others, only to be exposed to a huge amount of toxins that can cause cancer. In-fact, it is expected that nearly 68% of firefighters will develop cancer in their lifetime.
But hope is not lost. A team of specially trained, super-smart Beagles are sniffing out cancer as part of a screening service from Bio Scent DX.
And the great news is that with early detection, cancer survival rates of above 90% are being achieved.
Can dogs smell cancer?
Yes, dogs can accurately sniff out cancer. They use their super-sensitive noses to smell tiny traces of odors created by different diseases, including cancer.
In a research study published back in 2006, scientists confirmed that dogs could detect breast and lung cancer on human breath with between 88% and 97% accuracy.
Further studies were published in the British Medical Journal in 2011. They documented a Labrador Retriever sniffing samples of different patients breath and stools. The results were amazing as the Labrador achieved a 98% accuracy in the detection of bowel cancer.
This was heralded as a non-evasive method of early detection that could potentially save thousands of lives. And now a company has actually put the theory into practice.
Heather Junqueira, who is the lead researcher at BioScentDx will present new research at the 2019 American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology annual meeting.
They will showcase their clicker trained beagles who can correctly identify lung cancer 96.7% of the time, and normal samples 97.5% of the time.
hat’s amazing accuracy from such a cute team!
So how do dogs detect cancer?
Well, we all know that dogs have the ability to smell a sausage from a mile away. These exceptional talents are due to having 300 million scent receptors compared to us humans who have a measly 5 million.
In addition, the part of a dogs brain that is committed to smell is 40 times larger than ours.
So experts say that this extra scent-detecting brain power results in a ‘sense-of-smell’ that is up to 100,000 times greater than us mere humans.
To take advantage of this amazing cancer screening service, you don’t have to book a home visit from one of these cute little guys – although that would be pretty amazing. You simply send your samples in using a special collection kit, and then multiple dogs will review each sample.
See how they do it below…
Dogs supporting our firefighters
2014 Credit: Steven Hirschfield, Fire Fighter Nation
Our firefighters play an important role in keeping all our family members safe. And our pets are so reliant on their help in times of danger. The photo above is a heartwarming reminder of their appreciation.
So it is fantastic to know that our furry friends can now do something to return the favour.
BioScentDX has partnered with the CAPF – California Association of Professional Firefighters. They are offering specially priced screening for their 17,000 members. Helping provide early detection and saving lives.
Yes our furry friends can do some amazing things – from dogs that can smell cancer, to this dog who can play Jenga.
We love to hear your stories – comment below and tell us how amazing your dogs sense of smell is…