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Dog's Whimpers Led to Early Cancer Detection
23 Feb
Summary
- Dog's anxious behavior and nudges alerted owner to a breast lump.
- Early detection of aggressive triple-negative breast cancer was life-saving.
- Patient is participating in a clinical trial for a breast cancer vaccine.
Chase Johnson, a 36-year-old attorney from Cary, North Carolina, discovered she had triple-negative breast cancer thanks to her dog, Cato. Cato began acting anxious and whimpering around Johnson a few weeks before she found a lump in her left breast. His persistent nudging of the area, which caused pain, prompted Johnson to investigate further.
Despite initial skepticism from medical providers who deemed her too young for cancer and stated cancer doesn't hurt, Johnson persisted. Recalling Cato had previously alerted her husband to colon cancer, she sought a second opinion at Duke University Hospital. This led to a mammogram, ultrasound, and biopsy, confirming the aggressive triple-negative breast cancer diagnosis on February 16, 2021.
Johnson underwent chemotherapy, radiotherapy, a lumpectomy, and lymph node removal, all of which were successful. She currently shows no signs of disease and her oncologist stated that delaying diagnosis could have been fatal. Johnson is now part of a Cleveland Clinic clinical trial for a preventive breast cancer vaccine, offering hope for future treatments.
