Flossing Your Teeth and Prostate Disease-There Just Might Be a ConnectionFlossing your teeth may just be protective against prostate diseases. A recent report from dental researches showed that flossing may not only decrease heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and even Alzheimer's disease. And now prostate disease can be added to that list. For more information check out my blog.
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The French Have Done It Again- Dogs Can Use Their Noses to Sniff Out Prostate Cancer
June 10, 2010 by neilbaum
Dogs can be trained to detect prostate cancer by smelling urine samples and signaling the presence of certain volatile organic compounds produced by cancer cells, according to French researchers.
Jean-Nicolas Cornu, MD, of Tenon Hospital in Paris, and colleagues obtained fresh urine samples that had been frozen for preservation from 66 men referred to a urologist because they had an elevated PSA level or abnormal findings on digital rectal examination. Of the 66 men, 33 had prostate cancer and 33 did not, as determined by prostate biopsy.
The dogs used in the study were trained in three phases. In the first phase, which lasted five months, dogs were trained to recognize cancer urine. In the second phase, which lasted 11 months, dogs were trained to discriminate cancer urine from control urine. In the final phase, dogs were presented with five urine samples and prompted to select the one sample that was cancer urine.
Dogs correctly classified 63 of 66 samples. These results suggest that volitle organic compounds produced by cancer cells can be detected in urine samples.
So if you come to a French doctor's office and you find a dog in the exam room, don't be alarmed. The dog may just be one of the doctor's helpers used to diagnose your illness! For my office, I'm going to "go standard" and suggest for all men over the age of 50 that they have an annual PSA blood test and a digital rectal exam. It's the American way!
To your good health.
Dr. Baum