Dog Noses Point Toward Earlier Detection of a Stealthy Cancer

New research suggests trained detection dogs may help pave the way for earlier diagnosis of canine hemangiosarcoma (HSA), one of the deadliest and most elusive cancers in dogs. Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine trained scent-detection dogs to identify blood samples from dogs with HSA. Across hundreds of double-blinded trials, the dogs demonstrated about 70% accuracy, indicating that HSA blood carries a distinctive odor likely caused by volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

The findings, published in The Veterinary Journal, support the theory that HSA has a chemical signature detectable before clinical signs appear. Rather than using dogs diagnostically, researchers hope to identify the specific VOCs involved and develop a laboratory-based screening tool or “electronic nose.” Because HSA often causes sudden collapse and death within days or weeks of diagnosis, earlier detection could dramatically improve outcomes. Ongoing studies, supported by the Morris Animal Foundation, aim to determine when in the disease process the scent becomes detectable.