7 Healthcast: Breast cancer dog

Pat Wykes rescues dogs for a living... and she has quite a brood. 

But it was actually her dog, Peanut, she says saved her.

Pat Wykes, breast cancer patient
"She would start sitting in my lap and smelling my right breast and going (makes face) don't you see something's wrong?"

 Pat believes Peanut literally picked up the scent of her breast cancer....something her doctor says he has heard before.

Pat Wykes, breast cancer patient 
"That one doctor said 'Yeah, you're not the first person who has said that.'"

It may sound strange but there's scientific evidence supporting the notion that animals can smell cancer.  A study published in the Journal of Integrative Cancer Therapies found a dog's scenting ability can distinguish people in both early and late stage lung and breast cancer.  For Pat, that was a lucky call.

Pat Wykes, breast cancer patient
"When I went through chemo and then started getting better, she just started reverting back to being independent."

Today Pat is cancer free--and she credits Peanut for helping to make her early diagnosis which ultimately saved her.

Pat Wykes, breast cancer patient
"I knew when I saved her, I was saving her life but I didn't know she was gonna save mine."

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