A non-invasive tool for detecting cervical cancer odor by trained scent dogs.

BACKGROUND: Cervical Cancer (CC) has become a public health concern of alarming proportions in many developing countries such as Mexico, particularly in low income sectors and marginalized regions. As such, an early detection is a key medical factor in improving not only their population's quality of life but also its life expectancy. Interestingly, there has been an increase in the number of reports describing successful attempts at detecting cancer cells in human tissues or fluids using trained (sniffer) dogs. The great odor detection threshold exhibited by dogs is not unheard of. However, this represented a potential opportunity to develop an affordable, accessible, and non-invasive method for detection of CC. METHODS: Using clicker training, a male beagle was trained to recognize CC odor. During training, fresh CC biopsies were used as a reference point. Other samples used included cervical smears on glass slides and medical surgical bandages used as intimate sanitary pads by CC patients. A double-blind procedure was exercised when testing the beagle's ability to discriminate CC from control samples. RESULTS: The beagle was proven able to detect CC-specific volatile organic compounds (VOC) contained in both fresh cervical smear samples and adsorbent material samples. Beagle's success rate at detecting and discriminating CC and non-CC odors, as indicated by specificity and sensitivity values recorded during the experiment, stood at an overall high (>90%). CC-related VOC in adsorbent materials were detectable after only eight hours of use by CC patients. CONCLUSION: Present data suggests different applications for VOC from the uterine cervix to be used in the detection and diagnosis of CC. Furthermore, data supports the use of trained dogs as a viable, affordable, non-invasive and, therefore, highly relevant alternative method for detection of CC lesions. Additional benefits of this method include its quick turnaround time and ease of use while remaining highly accurate and robust.

[Physiopathology of Vascular Complications of Diabetic Foot]. / Fisiopatología de las complicaciones vasculares del pie diabético.

OBJECTIVE: To review the literature on vascular complications of diabetic foot with special interest in ulcerative lesions and their prevention and treatment. MATERIALS: Representative papers were selected through a computer MEDLINE search from 1980 to 2001. RESULTS: In diabetes mellitus, physiologic and biochemical mechanisms that regulate coordinated behavior between blood circulation and vessel wall are damaged, both in small and large vessels. Vascular alterations observed in patients with diabetes result in peripheral vascular disease with special characteristics in these patients that produce a greater tendency in diabetic than non-diabetic patients for chronic ulcerative lesions of foot and lesser capacity for healing. These lesions frequently result in amputation of the lower limb. Nevertheless efforts made for preventing and healing ulcerative complications, results are unsatisfactory. CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to research new methods for preventing and healing vascular complications of diabetic foot with special attention to improving damaged physiologic and biochemical mechanisms in diabetes mellitus.