An Unsettling Behavior
A California couple, Chase and Ben, found their normally placid Labrador mix, Ceto, exhibiting peculiar and persistent anxiety. This unusual behavior,
which began with Ben and later shifted towards Chase, served as an early, albeit perplexing, warning signal. Ceto's distress was a departure from his usual calm demeanor, causing his owners to take notice. While they initially couldn't pinpoint the cause, they recognized a pattern of Ceto's unease, especially when Ben had previously been alerted to his own health concerns by the same dog. This time, when Ceto became agitated, and Ben had recently received clear medical results, the suspicion turned towards Chase, setting the stage for a life-altering discovery.
The Nudge That Revealed
Chase recounts the specific instance that led to her cancer diagnosis. Ceto, who is typically very relaxed, began to show significant anxiety, pacing and whimpering around her for several weeks. This heightened distress culminated in Ceto nudging her breast with his nose. While initially painful, this action prompted Chase to investigate, leading her to discover a palpable lump. This lump was later identified as triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive form requiring immediate and intensive treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and lymph node removal. Chase acknowledged that without Ceto's insistent nudge, the cancer might have gone undetected for much longer, potentially with fatal consequences.
Science of Scent Detection
The remarkable ability of dogs like Ceto to detect cancer is rooted in their extraordinary olfactory capabilities. Scientific studies, including those published in journals like PLOS and PMC, have explored how canines can identify volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by cancerous tumors. These VOCs are present in a person's breath, urine, or even skin. Research has demonstrated high accuracy rates for dogs in detecting various cancers, with one study noting an 83.9% sensitivity for lung cancer detected through breath samples alone. The efficacy of canine detection has been validated for several types of cancer, including breast and colon cancer, underscoring their potential role in early disease screening.
