According to researchers in Germany, dogs have now been successfully tested in their abilities to sniff out the presence of lung cancer in humans.
Writing in the European Respiratory Journal, they found that trained dogs could detect a tumour in 71% of patients.
Amazingly, scientists are still not sure just how dogs are able to perform this amazing feat.
The dog's ability to detect the presence of cancer has been acknowledged since the late 80's and man's best friend has been proven to be capable of sniffing out cancers such as skin, bladder, bowel and breast.
Dogs are able to detect bio-markers that signify the presence of tumours.
According to the BBC:
Researchers trained four dogs – two German shepherds, an Australian shepherd and a Labrador – to detect lung cancer.
Three groups of patients were tested: 110 healthy people, 60 with lung cancer and 50 with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a narrowing of the airways of the lungs.
They all breathed into a fleece filled tube, which absorbed any smells.
The dogs sniffed the tubes and sat down in front of those in which they detected lung cancer smells.
They were successful 71% of the time. The researchers showed the dogs were not getting confused by chemicals associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or smoking.
Dr Thorsten Walles, the report's author from Schillerhoehe Hospital, said: "In the breath of patients with lung cancer, there are likely to be different chemicals to normal breath samples and the dogs' keen sense of smell can detect this difference at an early stage of the disease.
"Our results confirm the presence of a stable marker for lung cancer. This is a big step forward."
Dogs are unlikely to become regular fixtures in doctors surgeries so researchers are working on "electronic noses" which would be able to detect the same chemical as the dog. This chemical or combination of smells has not yet been found.
As the researchers lament: "Unfortunately, dogs cannot communicate the biochemistry of the scent of cancer."
Dr Laura McCallum, science information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: "Although there are now some intriguing studies suggesting that dogs may be able to smell cancer in some situations, we're still a long way from understanding exactly which 'smelly molecules' they are detecting and if these studies are accurate.
"Because it would be extremely difficult to use dogs in the clinic, further research is being carried out to learn more about these molecules that are released from tumours and whether devices such as 'electronic noses' could help sniff them out."
Dogs, continuing to prove that their role as man's best friend is confirmed.
