Can Dogs Smell Cancer?: The Curious Side of Cancer Science

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Today, cancer is still presented in conventional medicine as a purely genetic disease— the result of random mutations that appear suddenly and inevitably.

However, we have a large body of literature from decades of research that clearly show that tumors do not exist independently from the body around them. There are specific biological conditions and terrain imbalances that promote cancer development, and other conditions that appear to suppress, regulate, or restrain it.

Many of the most interesting discoveries in cancer biology come from observations that challenge the conventional paradigm: animals and tissues that rarely develop cancer, tumors that regress under certain hormonal conditions, cancer cells that normalize in healthy tissue environments, even dogs detecting cancer through metabolic changes. These findings challenge the simplistic narrative that cancer is only about “bad genes.”

Studying these unique tissues and unusual phenomena helps us better understand the conditions that create, suppress, accelerate, or resist cancer. None of these observations mean cancer is simple, easily reversible, or caused by one single factor. But cancer does not emerge in a vacuum. The metabolic state of the cell, the structure of the surrounding tissue, stress hormones, inflammation, oxygen availability, mitochondrial function, and hormones all influence whether abnormal cells remain controlled or progress into aggressive disease.

Some interesting things to know: ⬇️

1. Cancer in the heart is extremely rare. 🫀

Primary cardiac tumors, or cancers that originate in the heart, are virtually unheard of. Studies show an incidence of less than 0.001% every year, and the majority of these tumors (~90%) are benign.

The heart is unique because body goes to extraordinary lengths to protect it. It’s the organ that sustains life. It ensures delivery of oxygen, nutrients, and blood to every cell in the body. Uninterrupted function of the heart is essential for survival, and without it, no other system can operate.

There are a few protective mechanisms that help it resist cancer, but heart is a muscle, and like all muscles, it is protected by testosterone. It contains a high density of androgen receptors which support muscle integrity and structure, mitochondrial function and OXPHOS, and a stable, differentiated cellular state.

Testosterone helps counteract the effects of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress, inflammation, oxidative stress, tissue breakdown, and metabolic dysfunction. It also opposes the effects of estrogen, which drives uncontrolled cellular proliferation and is implicated in many cancers.

For a cell to become cancerous, it must shift into a more proliferative, stressed, and metabolically dysregulated state. The heart naturally exists in a hormonally regulated environment that buffers stress. limits unnecessary proliferation, and supports tissue structure, function, and metabolic control.

Studying tissues like the heart teaches us just how important the role of hormones are in cancer prevention.

2. Dogs can smell cancer. 🐶

Dogs have been shown to identify certain cancers (including lung, breast, bladder, and colorectal cancers) simply by smelling a person’s breath, urine, or skin.

They’re not sensing the tumor itself, but subtle changes in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by altered metabolism.

Cancer cells rely heavily on glycolysis and fermentation rather than efficient oxidative metabolism. This phenomenon (the Warburg effect) leads to the production of lactate, aldehydes, ketones, and VOCs. These compounds circulate through blood, are exhaled in breath, released through sweat, and excreted in urine.

Dogs have an olfactory system so sensitive that they can detect parts per trillion of these compounds. In other words, they’re sensing subtle metabolic waste products even before a tumor is detectable.

3. Tumors can regress following pregnancy. 🐣

During pregnancy, progesterone levels rise dramatically - up to 100 times higher than in a normal menstrual cycle. This is highly protective.

Progesterone slows cell proliferation, promotes cell differentiation, and balances the effects of estrogen, which can otherwise stimulate tumor growth. It helps guide cells back to more regulated behavior, reduces inflammation, angiogenesis, and even triggers apoptosis in malignant cells.

4. Placental development and cancer follow parallel biological strategies.

Interestingly, placental development and cancer development share similarities. The placenta grows rapidly, invades surrounding tissue, builds new blood vessels, and modulates the immune system so it is not rejected, even though it contains foreign DNA. Cancer cells use many of these same biological programs including rapid growth, angiogenesis, tissue invasion, and immune evasion.

The key difference is control. Placental growth is tightly regulated by progesterone and temporary. Cancer reflects those same growth pathways operating without proper regulation. It is not entirely new biology, but familiar biology without a stop signal.

5. Naked mole rats do not get cancer. 🐀

Naked mole rats almost never develop cancer, even though they live far longer than other rodents their size. Their cells produce extremely high–molecular weight hyaluronan, which strengthens the extracellular matrix and helps prevent uncontrolled cell division. They also exhibit very strong contact inhibition, meaning their cells stop proliferating earlier and more decisively when crowded.

Their resistance to cancer also may come from their environment. Naked mole rats live underground in low-oxygen, high-carbon dioxide burrows. They tolerate CO2 levels that would distress most mammals. Elevated carbon dioxide supports cellular metabolism, improves oxygen delivery through the Bohr effect, and stabilizes cells. CO2 can also counteract excessive excitation, reduce inflammation, and limit the cellular conditions that favor uncontrolled proliferation.

6. Cancer cells can become addicted to the drugs designed to kill them. 💉

Ironically, some cancer cells adapt so completely to targeted therapy that they become dependent on it.

In melanoma, for example, prolonged treatment with BRAF inhibitors can cause cells to rewire their metabolism around the drug’s presence. Over time, they rely on that artificial environment to survive. When the drug is suddenly withdrawn, these “addicted” cells can no longer survive. This phenomenon has inspired drug holiday strategies to exploit that dependency.

7. Not all cancer cells have mutations. 🧬

Some malignant cells show no clear genetic mutations, while many healthy cells in the body carry mutations without becoming cancerous.

In 2006, biologist Harry Rubin demonstrated that cells can accumulate hundreds of mutations and still function normally when they remain within the body.

However, once removed from their natural environment and placed in a lab culture, abnormal cells begin to proliferate. Rubin believed the surrounding healthy cells within tissues regulate the behavior of mutated cells. These neighboring cells send signals encouraging the normal appearance, function, and growth patterns, preventing the mutated cells from acting like cancerous ones.

8. Cancer cells can revert to healthy cells when placed in a normal tissue environment. 🧫

Researchers have found that restoring specific external signals, like contact with a structured matrix or healthy tissue, can cause cancer cells to stop dividing, reorganize, and behave like normal cells, despite having cancer-associated mutations. So, even heavily mutated cells can potentially be guided back to a non-malignant state under the right conditions. Cancer is not autonomous. It depends entirely on a supportive surrounding environment.

One interesting way to think about cancer is that it’s simply life, just redirected. The same pathways that allow us to grow in the womb, heal a wound, or adapt to stress can, under certain conditions, misfire and lead to cancer. These processes are ancient survival programs.

Cancer is not an evil invader, it’s our own tissue responding to the conditions around it. There is nothing truly ever “wrong” at least not in the way we think.

The more we study, the more it challenges the idea that it is simply random chaos. There are evolutionary paradoxes, species that almost never develop it, spontaneous regressions, dormant cells that awaken decades later, and tumors that behave almost like independent ecosystems. The deeper you go, the more you realize how miraculous and complex life is.

There is so much more to learn!

Some takeaways for preventing cancer:

• Make sure hormones are balanced including testosterone, progesterone, cortisol, and estrogen

• Ensure adequate thyroid hormones

• Ensure adequate intake of nutrients needed to support mitochondrial function and run OXPHOS (B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, sodium, trace minerals, etc.)

• Ensure adequate sunlight exposure and vitamin D levels which support healthy tissue differentiation

• Avoid exposure to environmental toxins (personal care products, cleaning products, xenoestrogens, mold, etc.)

• Maintain stable blood sugar

• Optimize sleep (for hormone balance)

• Improve CO2 tolerance: nasal breathing, thyroid function, baking soda baths, etc.

• Cancer treatment should involve addressing the entire terrain and reestablishing a healthy tissue environment

Join us next month at the Beljanski Conference!

I’m so excited to invite you all to San Diego for the 2026 Beljanski Integrative Cancer Conference—an immersive 4-day event bringing together some of the world’s leading voices in integrative, metabolic, and functional oncology.

🗓 June 26th–29th, 2026
📍 San Diego, California

At the conference, I will be speaking alongside top doctors, researchers, scientists, and cancer experts as they discuss the latest breakthroughs in natural cancer prevention, metabolic therapies, immune support, mitochondrial health, cancer stem cell research, integrative treatment strategies, and the future of oncology.

Tickets are now on sale now- use code BICC26CONNEALY for 15% off!

Book an appointment for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy today!

Everyone knows oxygen is essential. This element literally breathes life into us with every inhalation. But oxygen is also critical for healing, cellular repair, energy production, and disease prevention.

Many harmful organisms and unhealthy cellular environments (even cancer!) struggle to thrive in oxygen-rich conditions.Two-time Nobel Prize winner Dr. Otto Warburg famously noted, “If our internal environment was changed from an acidic, oxygen-deprived state to an alkaline, oxygen-rich state, viruses, bacteria, and fungus could not live.”

But harnessing the healing and preventative powers of oxygen requires a special delivery system, in this case, a pressurized chamber. Breathing highly concentrated oxygen under pressure allows the oxygen to dissolve and be delivered throughout the blood, plasma, tissues, and cells—literally flooding the body with this health-enhancing element.

Research-Backed Benefits: There are over 11,000 studies on HBOT indexed on PubMed, with the research indicating hyperbaric oxygen may benefit:

• Brain health and cognitive function

• Recovery after inflammation or injury

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• Neurological wellness and cognitive clarity

• Healthy aging and overall vitality

To learn how hyperbaric oxygen therapy can help energize, restore, and revitalize your body from head to toe, call us today at (949) 680-1880.

Book your HBOT appointment today!

The Center For New Medicine is expanding.

The Center for New Medicine team is growing! We’re looking for exceptional physicians to join us and building a team of the best—clinicians who are passionate about solving complex cancer cases and thinking beyond conventional approaches.

If you’re interested in working alongside me and being part of a more integrative, patient-centered model, please send an email with a brief introduction and your area of focus to [email protected].

If you are looking for personal guidance through cancer treatment, prevention, or health optimization you can contact the center at 949-680-1880. Our team takes the most comprehensive approach and looks at all the underlying metabolic, nutritional, emotional, and environmental factors that influence health. For a full list of services, please see below!

Talk soon ❤️,

Dr. C