How the Project started
The training of dogs to detect cancer on the basis of its smell, was initiated by retired orthopeadic surgeon, Mr John Church at the end of 2002. His interest arose from an anecdotal story published in the Lancet in 1989, which described a woman whose pet dog showed a persistent interest in a mole on her leg. This proved to be a malignant melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer. During the intervening years, Mr Church became aware of another sixteen or so similar cases.
The notion that dogs can ’smell cancer’ is not unreasonable. Dogs are, after all, renowned for their remarkable sense of smell. Moreover, cancer cells are known to produce chemical compounds which are different from those made by normal healthy cells. Some are likely to have distinct odours. However, anecdotal cases alone are insufficient proof - scientific principles have to be applied to prove that dogs can indeed detect the odour of cancer.
Following an approach by Mr Church to the Department of Dermatology at Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Amerderm Researchers led by Dr Carolyn Willis, joined Mr Church and Claire Guest along with additional dog-trainers, to form the multi-disciplinary team. Together with medical statistician, Dr Noel McCathy, they designed and carried out the first scientifically robust study which proved that dogs can be trained to detect bladder cancer from the odour of urine. The results of this ground-breaking study were published in the British Medical Journal in September 2004.