The long-held view that dogs can detect cancer in their owners is now scientifically proven. Research published in the British Medical Journal (25 September 2004) indicates that canines can distinguish urine from patients with bladder cancer from urine from individuals without cancer with a 41% success rate, well above the 14% expected by chance alone.

The study, carried out by Dr Carolyn Willis and colleagues at the Amersham Hospital, UK, recruited dogs from the nearby Hearing Dogs for Deaf People facility. “Dogs can be trained to detect some odour characteristics for bladder cancer”, said Willis (Reuters, 24 September 2004). On nine different occasions, the dogs were exposed to seven samples and would then lie down next to the 'positive' one. “The principal aim is to use the dogs to help us find specific markers for cancer”, Willis concludes; “it's a bit like naming the ingredients of a soup”, commented one of the dog trainers, Claire Guest (http://news.bbc.co.uk, 23 September 2004).

Professor David Neal, from Cancer Research UK, said “many cancer patients do have abnormal proteins in their blood and urine” (http://news.bbc.co.uk, 23 September 2004). Although it is unlikely that dogs will be used to diagnose cancer, Neal felt that this research might help to develop other detection methods.

Not all the dogs performed well though. Toddy, the mongrel, “was working at a rate of no better than chance really”, said his trainer Andrew Cook, “but we still love him”, (http://edition.cnn.com/, 23 September 2004).