Daisy has a very different role from most of the charity's other dogs

Daisy, an 18-month-old Labrador bred at kennels in Marden, west Kent, is working for the Buckinghamshire-based charity, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

The organisation has been working with health professionals in Bucks and has already found evidence that dogs can be trained to sniff out bladder cancer.

That research was published by the British Medical Journal in 2004.

Research project

Daisy moved from her kennels in Kent at the end of 2004 after being recruited by Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

Two years ago the charity became involved in research led by the Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

The project found evidence that dogs could detect bladder cancer from distinctive smells in sufferers' urine.

Now Daisy's nose is being trained to pick up cancerous cells on skin pads from people with suspected cancer.

Trainer Claire Guest said Labradors can be used now the research has become more advanced.

"The first study we used a whole range of different breeds and types because we wanted to just do a pilot study to see whether the dogs could do the job.