Trials in the UK are currently assessing if dogs could be used to detect prostate cancer at an early stage. One study shows that specially trained dogs can pick up the presence of such cancer in urine samples in 93% of cases. Politician Iain Duncan Smith's wife Betsy was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, and became involved with the charity Medical Detection Dogs.

In an exclusive film for the Victoria Derbyshire program, he says he wants to see it rolled out across the UK’s health service.