Elephants have 100 times as many cells as humans. But they seldom get cancer. This is surprising, because cancer is a result of cell division gone wrong, and the more cells an organism has, the higher the chances that some will mutate into tumors. Also, because elephants live so long - between 60 and 70 years - their cells have more opportunities to mutate. The counterintuitive observation that cancer risk does not always correlate with a species' size or longevity is known as Peto's Paradox, named after British epidemiologist Richard Peto, who first noted the phenomenon in 1977. It turns out that cancer does not strike all species equally: Some animals have evolved powerful strategies to keep the disease at bay, while others are particularly vulnerable. Scientists are increasingly exploring this interspecies variation in cancer rates, hoping to learn more about how cancer works in humans and to identify better ways of treating or preventing it. "Elephants should be getting cancer all … [Read more...] about Rarity of cancer in elephants may help explain cancer in humans
Canine cancer
‘I found out I had cancer thanks to my dog’, says Willington woman
A dog owner has told how her beloved pet constantly sniffing her neck made her get a check which showed she had cancer. Daisy-May, a west highland white terrier, is still a playful puppy at just 15 months old but it did not stop her from alerting her owner, Thelly Price, that something was wrong. Pensioner Thelly has told how the faithful canine would continue to sniff around her throat when she picked her up and would continue to sniff when she was put back on the floor, jumping up at Thelly. Thelly, who has multiple sclerosis, then noticed there was a lump on her throat where Daisy-May had been sniffing and tests revealed she had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Some experts reckon that it is possible for dogs to detect cancer because their sense of smell is 25 times stronger than humans. Cancerous cells can release a smell in the early stages that may not be detectable to people but they can be picked up by some dogs. And Thelly says her pet knew something was wrong and had Daisy-May not … [Read more...] about ‘I found out I had cancer thanks to my dog’, says Willington woman
‘Dogs can sniff out prostate cancer and diagnose it in patients’
Dogs are turning out to be an even better friend to man than we could have imagined. They can spot cancer early, even before symptoms appear, through their magnificently sensitive noses. Yes, pretty amazing. Now, for the first time, a proper investigation is being set up by doctors Clare Guest and John Church, of the charity Medical Detection Dogs , to investigate this canine skill and its use in prostate cancer detection. Shockingly, prostate cancer now kills more people than breast cancer and the disease’s UK mortality rates have increased by 21% since the early 1970s. Experts say medical detection dogs can identify the “smell” of the disease. This could spare many men the need to undergo unnecessary invasive tests. Dogs’ sense of smell is 40 times more powerful than ours and can detect odours at a concentration of one part per trillion. This means they can pick up the scent of different diseases at the earliest stage. The charity’s … [Read more...] about ‘Dogs can sniff out prostate cancer and diagnose it in patients’
Study to look into whether dogs can detect cancer
Research investigating whether scent-detection dogs can identify lung cancer using breath and saliva is getting its first boost of funding. Dr Timothy Edwards from the University of Waikato’s School of Psychology has secured a $233,607 grant to test his theory. Edwards says several studies have demonstrated scent-detection dogs’ ability to accurately identify cancer, but few studies have involved methods that can be used in a clinical setting. “An operationally viable detection system for lung cancer would have significant health and economic benefits in New Zealand and internationally,” he said. “Improvements in accuracy and speed of diagnosis could result in increased detection rates and reduced mortality for people with lung cancer.” Before joining the University of Waikato, Edwards worked for a humanitarian organisation in Tanzania investigating the accuracy of tuberculosis-detection by giant African pouched rats. From that experience, he’s … [Read more...] about Study to look into whether dogs can detect cancer
South Shields breast cancer survivor follows her dreams
A cancer survivor has turned her love of dogs into a business after overcoming the biggest battle of her life. Helen Hartley was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013. The 50-year-old underwent four successive surgeries in two years as she fought the disease and says it was that which was the kickstart she needed to follow her dreams.The former customer services operations manager at South Tyneside Council said: “I knew that my highly stressful job could no longer fit with how I wanted to spend my life. “Breast cancer really made me evaluate my lifestyle and after my second surgery in September 2014 I decided I needed to start making plans for a new career which incorporated more of my passions and less of the stress I was hoping to leave behind.”She added: “It wasn’t an easy decision. For 20 years all of the plans I had made had led me to the point I was at in my career but it no longer felt like something I wanted to carry on with. Breast cancer really … [Read more...] about South Shields breast cancer survivor follows her dreams