In the medical literature and through anecdotal reports, some dogs have detected cancers cells and have drawn it to their owners’ attention. The dogs may have sniffed at the spot continually or may have tried to nip at it. Science has confirmed what some dogs already knew:

“…Now chemists have discovered what they call the scent of basal cell carcinoma – the most common form of skin cancer. They hope it will lead to quicker ways of diagnosing the disease, using a hand-held scanner or sensor waved over the skin.”

link: Skin cancer has a specific ’smell’ – so how do we sniff it out?

This ability of some dogs to identify that cancer scent through perfumes, colognes, soap residue, detergent chemicals and a myriad of other smells is remarkable. What remains a mystery is ‘how do the dogs know that the cancer scent is harmful?’.

Catherine Forsythe