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A pet Rottweiler has prompted his owner to go for a medical check after ’sniffing out’ his skin cancer.

Chris Tuffrey, from Banbury, noted that his pooch Beamish was repeatedly nuzzling and licking an area on his chest, reports the BBC.

He explained that he has had a mole in the area for around 15 years but had never attached any great significance to it.

However, after becoming concerned about issue, Mr Tuffrey visited his doctor, who immediately referred him to Oxford’s Churchill Hospital.

Within two weeks, melanoma was confirmed and the cancerous mole was removed.

”He’s absolutely brilliant," Mr Tuffrey said.

"He’s a very laid back dog, and I shall be grateful to him for the rest of my life.”

Scientists have noted similar results from dogs in the past.

During trials, dogs have been able to detect cancers in the urine of patients despite medical tests giving negative results.

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Improved treatment for bowel cancer could be on the way thanks to a recent study, it has been reported.

Researchers in Cardiff and Glasgow have ascertained how bowel cancer becomes increasingly aggressive.

They identified three proteins which, when combined, stimulate tumours and make them more likely to spread.

Professor Alan Clarke, a Cancer Research UK scientist at the Cardiff School of Biosciences, said the research provides an illustration of how the disease progresses.

"This has given us a clearer picture of how bowel tumours actually grow and provides scientists with crucial information for drug design to slow down or stop the spread of the disease," he said.

Dr Lesley Walker of Cancer Research UK added that bowel cancer – one of the most common forms of the disease – is much more problematic to treat when it becomes advanced.

Cancer Research UK concluded that the research was "fundamental" to understanding the disease.

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There has been a significant improvement in meeting waiting time targets for cancer patients, NHS Highland has claimed.

Recent figures revealed that the Scottish NHS was struggling to hit the required targets which were set in 2005.

However, more than 95 per cent who were urgently referred by their doctors received the appropriate treatment within 62 days between April and June this year.

Furthermore, some 85 per cent of breast cancer patients were treated 31 days after diagnosis, but the target for such patients still stands at 100 per cent for that period of time.

Cancer network manager Christine McIntosh said: "Clinical and support staff are putting in a lot of effort to ensure as few delays as possible for patients who have been referred to breast services, and are often very anxious."

She added that it was "rewarding" to see that such efforts were making a significant difference for cancer patients.

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Exercise and sleep can significantly reduce the risk of cancer, according to recent research.

A study conducted over a ten-year period revealed that women who were physically active were less prone to the disease.

The results indicated that women who took the most amount of exercise were up to 25 per cent less likely to have developed cancer.

However, the researchers from the US government-funded National Cancer Institute also noted that getting less than seven hours sleep a night negated the effects of the exercise.

The government recently advised that moderate exercise such as brisk walking, gardening or mowing the lawn is enough to keep you fit, but exercise physiologist Gary O’Donovan said this was misleading.

Dr O’Donovan, a fellow of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, said: "Time and again, the largest and most robust studies have shown that vigorously-active individuals live longer and enjoy a better quality of life than moderately-active individuals and couch potatoes."

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Today’s cancer research is paving the way for more successful drugs for patients, a leading charity has said.

According to Cancer Research UK, some 18 per cent of new drugs will become standard treatments as a result of improved knowledge, compared with just five per cent previously.

However, the organisation has urged pharmaceutical firms and academics to be more transparent about drugs which are not as effective.

It is hoped that new treatments will offer a realistic alternative to chemotherapy – which can have dangerous side-effects.

Dr Ian Walker, the licensing manager at the charity’s commercial development arm, said: "This clearly demonstrates the benefits of developing molecularly targeted treatments for cancer - understanding more about the basic biology of cancer is making a real difference to the success rate for new anti-cancer drug development."

Professor Herbie Newell, also from Cancer Research UK, said clear information about which treatments worked and which did not could only be "beneficial for clinical, scientific and commercial reasons".

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A new £110 million cancer treatment centre has been given the go-ahead in the heart of London.

The project - which is expected to deal with around 85,000 appointments a year - has been modelled on highly-successful US ambulatory care for cancer, reports the Financial Times.

Initially, Nick and Christian Candy paid £170 million for the old Middlesex Hospital site along with Icelandic bank Kaupthing, but pulled out in the wake of the credit crunch.

However, the high-end sale has allowed the University College Hospitals London (UCLH) to go ahead with the venture, which it claims will be based on out-patient and day care.

Sir Robert Naylor, UCLH’s chief executive, said different floors of the building will be dedicated to treating different forms of cancer.

Mark Embleton, the clinical director, said: "This will enable us to be recognised as one of the top cancer centres in Europe".

The new care centre is scheduled to be operational by 2012.

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A new breast cancer screening system which uses radio waves as opposed to X-rays has been given its first trials.

The level of risk associated to the new machine - which is currently being tested at Frenchay Hospital near Bristol - has been compared to talking into a mobile phone handset "at arm’s length".

Furthermore, the scans produce an image which is just as clear as a conventional X-ray, while being significantly quicker.

Dr Craddock, from the university’s electrical and electronic engineering department, said: "This new imaging technique works by transmitting radio waves of a very low energy and detecting reflected signals, it then uses these signals to make a 3D image of the breast."

He added that the new scanning technique works in largely the same way as any conventional radar system.

Mike Shere, associate specialist breast clinician at North Bristol NHS Trust, said the women who have tried the new scan found the experience "much more comfortable".

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Doctors are relying too heavily on chemotherapy during late-stage cancer and are being urged to rethink their approach.

According to a report by the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death, the treatment can hasten or even cause death in some cancer patients.

The group has urged medial staff to reduce doses or consider cutting out the treatment altogether.

Chemotherapy - which can lead to a range of complications - was found to be implicated in 27 per cent of deaths in the case review.

Report co-author Dr Diana Mort said doctors should exercise caution when prescribing the treatment for "very sick patients".

"The process of consent may require more than one discussion," she said.

"Patients must be made aware of the risks and side-effect of chemotherapy as well as the potential benefits."

However, Dr Peter Clark, of the Royal College of Physicians, said it was important to bear in mind the short and long-term benefits that chemotherapy can provide.

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Scientists in the US have developed a technique which allows them to watch how cancer spreads.

By placing a tiny piece of glass in the chest of a mouse, the team were able to visually track cells from a breast tumour as they spread to other parts of the body, reports the journal Nature Methods.

Many cancer fatalities are caused by other parts of the body becoming affected, rather than the initial tumour.

This process - known as metastasis - has not been fully understood in the past, largely due to the fact that it could not be seen.

Dr Joanna Peak, Cancer Research UK’s science information officer, said such research is one of the "biggest challenges" in successful cancer treatment.

"This cutting-edge research provides new opportunities to study the complex relationship between cancer cells and their surrounding tissue - to help us understand metastasis in more detail," she said.

Cancer Research UK supported the research, which it believes could be applicable to humans.

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Women who regularly get migraines may have a significantly lower risk of developing breast cancer, it has been claimed.

Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle studied 3,412 women, discovering a 30 per cent lower risk for those suffering from the severe headaches.

It is thought the results illustrate the importance of hormone levels associated with both conditions.

The research is the first time such a link has been explored, with researchers noting that two of the most common forms of breast cancer are fuelled by the hormones oestrogen and progesterone.

Dr Christopher Li said high oestrogen levels which are linked to migraines could reduce the conditions needed to stimulate the development of breast cancer.

"While these results need to be interpreted with caution, they point to a possible new factor that may be related to breast cancer risk," he said.

"This gives us a new avenue to explore the biology behind risk reduction."

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with cancer