Study finds sniffer dogs can accurately detect lung cancer by smelling breath samples.

Researchers from Schillerhoehe hospital in Germany conducted experiments with specially trained dogs and 220 volunteers including 60 lung cancer patients, 50 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 110 healthy people.

The study revealed the sniffer dogs successfully indentified samples with lung cancer in 71 percent of cases and correctly detected samples with no lung health problems in 93 percent of individuals.

Relying on the sniffing methods of identifying so-called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) the dogs even distinguished COPD patients from lung cancer patients,

“In the breath of patients with lung cancer, there are likely to be different chemicals to normal breath samples and the dogs’ keen sense of smell can detect this difference at an early stage of the disease,” said the lead scientist Thorsten Walles, who published the findings in the European respiratory Journal on Thursday.

Although the findings confirmed that there is a reliable and stable marker for lung cancer in the breath, finding out exactly what that is remains an important assignment, Walles added.

Once the “marker” is identified, it is possible to develop an “electronic nose” to detect lung cancer at an early stage.

By Jung Eun-jung

(kristin2j@gmail.com)

Intern reporter