Is it true that cancer-sniffing dogs can smell bladder cancer? What tests are needed for bladder cancer?

How to diagnose cancer as early as possible has always been one of the most concerned issues for humans. The British charity "Medical Sniffer Dogs" has trained nine cancer-sniffing dogs together with Milton Keynes Hospital to help identify prostate cancer, kidney cancer and bladder cancer. Under professional training, these dogs can determine whether the owner of the urine has prostate cancer just by smelling the urine. Under laboratory conditions, the accuracy rate of cancer-sniffing dogs is as high as 93%. Next, professionals will lead these cancer-sniffing dogs to conduct large-scale clinical trials in two hospitals funded by the "Medical Sniffer Dogs" organization to observe whether the cancer detection sensitivity of these dogs is as accurate as under laboratory conditions.

What tests are needed for bladder cancer?

1. Cystoscopy:

This is a necessary examination method for diagnosing bladder cancer. This examination can directly observe whether there is a tumor in the bladder cavity. If there is a tumor, its location, size, shape and number, and whether it is accompanied by other lesions, such as cystitis, prostatic hyperplasia or cancer. At the same time, observe whether there is blood spurting from the ureteral orifice to determine whether the kidney and ureter have the same lesions. By observing the flesh of the tumor, its malignancy can be roughly determined and distinguished from inverted papilloma or glandular cystitis. However, it is necessary to take a biopsy of the tumor as much as possible to make a pathological diagnosis and the level of tumor differentiation for reference when formulating a treatment plan.

2. Urine cytology examination:

That is, the exfoliated cells of the tumor are collected from the urine and stained and smeared for microscopic observation. This is very valuable for the diagnosis of bladder cancer and follow-up after treatment. The positive rate is generally around 70%.

3. Excretory urography:

That is, intravenous urography, which is used to exclude the presence of the same tumor in the kidney and ureter. When the contrast agent is discharged into the bladder, there is no contrast agent in the bladder cancer site, which shows a filling defect image. For patients with urethral stenosis who cannot undergo cystoscopy, this can be used as a reference for diagnosing bladder cancer.

4. Cystography:

When the bladder filling defect shown by excretory urography is not clear enough, contrast agent can be injected into the bladder through a catheter to perform cystography to assist in the diagnosis.

5. Ultrasound or (and) CT scan:

It can show the location, size, shape of bladder cancer, and whether it protrudes into or out of the bladder cavity, and even invades and metastasizes to the prostate and pelvic cavity, which helps to determine the stage of the tumor.

6. Magnetic resonance imaging examination:

In addition to the examination effects of B-ultrasound and CT, for advanced cases with extensive abdominal and pelvic metastases, the large-scale front and side images, as well as the high-resolution lesion imaging, provide a more comprehensive observation of the scope of tumor invasion.