Dog's Nose Detects Cancer, Saves Chicago Woman's Life

When Zeki the labradoodle wouldn't stop pressing his nose into Karen Daggett's armpit during a 2022 Louisiana vacation, the Chicago Heights woman knew something was wrong.

The black labradoodle, trained as a therapy dog by Daggett's granddaughter Anastasia Shriver, pushed so insistently that a family member had to pull him away. When Daggett touched the spot where Zeki had been sniffing, she felt pain and discovered a lump that shouldn't have been there.

"If it hadn't been for Zeki, I don't know how long it would have been before I found the lump," said Daggett.

She visited her primary care doctor immediately. A mammogram and ultrasound revealed three cancerous growths in her lymph nodes, a melanoma diagnosis that required surgery to remove 17 lymph nodes followed by immunotherapy treatment.

Now 74 and cancer-free, Daggett visits her medical team at South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest every six months. Staff there know her as "the dog patient," a bittersweet nickname since Zeki has since passed away.

Her oncologist, Dr. Ari Seifter at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, remembers their first conversation about her diagnosis. "My dog found this," Daggett told him.

Sunny's Take

While science can't yet prove dogs can reliably detect cancer, Seifter sees compelling evidence in Daggett's experience. "It doesn't seem like a coincidence," he said, noting that animals have keener senses of smell than humans and that cancers produce proteins that might emit detectable odors.

The early detection made all the difference. Seifter explained that catching the melanoma quickly allowed Daggett to benefit from immunotherapy, a treatment that has revolutionized cancer care over the past decade and works far better for melanoma than traditional chemotherapy.

Daggett credits three things for saving her life: Zeki's persistent sniffing, her decision to see a doctor immediately, and advances in medical research. "If this had happened 10 years ago, they would have given you six months," she was told.

Doctors advise anyone who notices new lumps, skin changes, unexplained pain, or wounds that won't heal to see their primary care physician right away. Early detection saves lives, whether discovered by a dog's nose or a self-exam.