Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
New urine test uses nematodes to detect cancer in dogs and cats
By Toshimi Sugimoto et al.·Published in Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports·2022·Hirotsu Bioscience Inc., 4-1 Kioi-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-0094, Japan, NL·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: A new detection method for canine and feline cancer using the olfactory system of nematodes
Plain-English summary
A new method using the sense of smell from tiny worms has shown promise in detecting cancer in dogs and cats. Researchers tested urine samples from both healthy and cancer-affected pets and found that the worms reacted differently to the samples, indicating the presence of cancer. This non-invasive test could help veterinarians identify cancer early, which is crucial for effective treatment. The results suggest that this method could be a simple and affordable way to screen for cancer in our pets, potentially improving their chances of recovery.
People also search for: dog cancer detection test · cat cancer screening urine test · early signs of cancer in pets
Abstract
Cancer is the leading cause of death in dogs and cats. Early diagnosis of cancer is critical for effective treatment and improving survival rates. Nematode-NOSE (N-NOSE) is a commercially available non-invasive human cancer screening test that uses the sense of smell of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans showing a distinct chemotactic response toward the urine of an individual with cancer compared to healthy ones. 15 types of human cancer (stomach, colon-rectum, lung, breast, pancreas, liver, prostate, uterus, esophagus, gallbladder, bile duct, kidney, urinary bladder, ovary, and oropharynx cancers) can be detected by N-NOSE.A non-invasive method for accurate cancer screening is needed for pets. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of N-NOSE in detecting cancer using canine and feline urine samples. We found a significant difference in chemotaxis index values between healthy subjects and cancer patients in both canine (p < 0.01*) and feline (p < 0.04*) urine samples. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis highlights the good performance of the test with areas under the curve (AUC) of 0.8114 and 0.7851 for dogs and 0.7667 and 0.9000 for cats when using 2 different dilutions of urine samples. Our study suggests that N-NOSE has the potential as a simple, accurate, and low-cost cancer screening test in both dogs and cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrep.2022.101332