Canine Scent Detection of Human Cancers A Biological, Cell Signaling, Behavioral, and Experimental Approach

Emily Moser

Date of Award

2010

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Beulig, Alfred

Keywords

Canine, Cancer, Scent Detection

Area of Concentration

Biology

Abstract

Interest in the hypothesis that dogs are able to detect cancer in humans began in 1989 when a letter sent to the journal, The Lancet, implied that a dog had detected melanoma on its owner�s skin. Since then, considerable anecdotal and experimental evidence has been found to support this hypothesis. In fact, studies on the topic have lead researchers to believe that dogs can detect several different types of cancer earlier than machines built for the same purpose. Canines are able to detect whether people have cancer by smelling cancer biomarkers in their breath with a sensitivity and specificity sometimes as high as 99%. The purpose of this thesis is to review previous studies on the topic and explore in greater detail how cancer biomarkers are produced and how dogs smell them. In addition two experiments are included. The first is a study I participated in on canine scent detection of ovarian cancer. The second is a study I led which used the same techniques to train a dog to detect the presence of peanuts, a potentially lethal allergen, in food.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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