DOCTORS ' LOUNGE

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The two dogs were a 7-year-old fox Red Labrador , Florin , and the 4-year-old Vizsla , Midas , who belong to Medical Detection Dogs . The dogs ’ diagnoses were found to be 71 % sensitive in correctly identifying the urine of biopsy-proven prostate cancer patients , and 73 % specific in detecting prostate cancer . The dogs ’ diagnostic urine sample selections were used to train the artificial neural network to detect the spikes in the GS-MS data . The researchers concluded they had found a reliable method , good enough to seek funding for larger studies using GU clinic attendees , for example , with both dogs and the ANN evaluating the samples .

“ Four-year-old Midas and 7-year-old Florin have also moved us one paw closer to translating , in time , the ability of a dog ’ s ’ nose to that of an electronic device , which would be a gamechanger . We could not be more proud of our dogs ,” said Dr . Guest ( she holds an honorary doctorate for all her work with training dogs for medical detection ).

The goal now is further study to identify more exactly the specific compounds the dogs are smelling , to help with invention of a reliable , reusable “ E-nose ” for early detection . Researchers envision loading it with different modules - the breast cancer one , the lung cancer one , etc . - for use in screening clinics as well as in oncology centers . Dogs have also been trained to detect COVID-19 . I can imagine their use at large sporting events , airports , the Olympic venues , etc .

I ’ d like to import one of those dogs . Take note , local cancer centers . I can imagine your new Kentucky State Fair booth , right next to the Dermatology one and the Urology one ( I always see the biggest crowds at these ). “ Step right up for our amazing lifesaving Canine Smeller Squad ! Let our Hero Dogs sniff you for diseases !! It ’ s painless ! It ’ s free ! They ’ re right 3 out of 4 times !”

Much as I admire the mammogram machine , I can ’ t kiss its nose . Bring on the dogs .

Dr . Barry is an internist and Associate Professor of Medicine ( Gratis Faculty ) at the University of Louisville School of Medicine , currently enjoying a very long sabbatical until return to part-time work in the fall .

received

, earlier this evening , the news of the death of Dr . Urbach just short of his 96th birthday .

Fifteen years ago , when I became Dean of the School of Medicine of the University of Louisville , he came to see me . He was “ looking for work . Did I have anything for him ?” I did not know who this 80-year-old gentleman was , but he explained that he was a UofL graduate , had practiced general internal medicine in Louisville for decades , and after closing his practice had served as an attending in the Department of Medicine at UofL . He had been told he was “ getting too old and had to stop even though ” he didn ’ t want to .

I said that the only openings I had were for a TA ( teaching assistant ) for courses I was going to teach the first year medical students on the history of medicine and medical ethics / the intersection of religion and medicine . He said “ I ’ ll take the job .” I replied , “ Don ’ t you want to know what it pays ? It pays a pittance .” He told me it didn ’ t matter . Thus , I ended up with a TA three decades my senior whom I always addressed as “ Dr . Urbach .”

One day we were concerned that a student might have cheated on the final examination for the “ Intersection of Religion and Medicine ” course . Dr . Urbach looked at me and said , “ May I point out that if someone cheats in an ethics course on the intersection of religion and medicine they are going to have to answer to a much higher authority than you or I ?”

I also remember calling a school meeting when it was determined that there had been a distasteful act of discrimination perpetrated against a medical student by a classmate because of the latter ’ s sexuality . The word “ f * ggot ” had been scratched into the student ’ s car with a sharp object .

Some of my advisors at the university told me not to publicly take on this issue in Kentucky . I ignored that advice and gave the entire class a stern lecture , in the presence of a police detective , and a promise of prosecution if the perpetrator were to be identified . When the meeting was over Dr . Urbach took me aside and quietly thanked me . “ I know some gay people ,” he said . “ Thank you for taking a stand .”

On another occasion he told me that my woodworking skills ( I ’ d created a stand for my finger puppets that I used for patient care ) were an embarrassment . He took my wood away from me and went home and made a proper stand in his shop .

In the time since I left Louisville , he would periodically send me handwritten news-filled updates . I replied to him with a handwritten letter a few weeks ago . Now I know why he didn ’ t reply .

May his memory be for a blessing and may his family be comforted amongst all those who mourn in Zion and Jerusalem . -Edward C Halperin MD , MA , Chancellor / CEO New York Medical College . ( non-member )

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