Is there a 'smell' to cancer?

i was only thinking about this today. When my mum was first diagnosed with cancer i could smell it on her breath. When she had treatmewnt the smell went. When she was diagnosed with cancer spread i could smell it again.

In the latter weeks i could also dectect a sweet smell. This was the same smell that i recognised on my dad before he died. My dad however did not die of cancer. My cousin also recognised the smell as her father and brother died of cancer. She said she could smell cancer as soonas she walked on a ward.

In your dad's case it may not be cancer. It could be lack of nutitrion or something less dramatice. Even the common cold can change your body chemicals which in turn wouldchange body odour.

Talk to your G.P if you are worried or check it out with your dad.

I can understand why you are asking this because i have also questioned it. Think i might look on the net to see.

xxxxxxx    

Hi Jules

I like you thought my hubby's smell changed, it was a while before he was diagnosed, and i thought it was like a marzipan smell only really noticed it when he got out of the shower, Try not to read to much into your dads odour it`s probably as princess says, so take it easy.

Louise xxxxx

Don't get me wrong here, please, but I am sure that I read somewhere that some dogs had with a keen sense of smell could detect cancer before diagnosis. I am not at all certain abour this but for some reason your post dragged this back from the depths of my senile brain. Obviously as the patient I have no way I would be able to tell on myself. perhaps you have a good smell sense or maybe it is just something yu think after the event. At one time I would have said there was something in the eye colour but saw no sign of it in myself.

I would see if your dad would go for a check up, the earlier these things are known about the better for good or ill.

Hi Jules,

The answer seems to be yes, but please tread with caution !! If there is any suspicion of Cancer or any serious complaint at all please get an expert to check it out with the correct tests and do not jump to conclusions that may cause you unnecessary worry or anxiety

There can be many other reasons for personal odours to change, medication, diet and even sexual arousal  (pheromones)

I have copied a couple of links here that seems to bear it out - but as with anything like this there are usually another group of experts read to prove the opposite

www.good.is/.../forget-bombs-dogs-can-now-smell-cancer

www.bbc.co.uk/.../can-dogs-smell-cancer.shtml

John x

Hi Jules, I know that people with diabetes can have a sweet smell from them, especially their breath, so, if your dad hasn't been diagnosed with this, then it is certainly worth getting checked out. There are also other medical conditions which can cause smells, so, please try not to worry that it is necessarily cancer.

Please let us know how things go.

Best wishes, Christine xx