Smelling cancer!

For months on the left side of my body I had a very strong body odor smell under my armpit that I could not get rid of. I couldn’t wash it away I couldn’t do anything it was just so strong. My neighbors dog that was golden retriever, had a Christmas party that year I was scheduled to see the doctor a few weeks after this event. But that dog jumped on me, stuck his face in my left breast in my armpit and then he sat there and he would not leave me. They used to only come up to our area on the weekends and when he would get out of the car he’d run to my house just scratching at the door trying to get in and every time he did he smelled me to see how I was doing after I had my tumor removed from my breast and lymph nodes, the last time he came over, he smelled me and he never came back after that. August 2022 I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, which had gone to my lymph nodes, my bones, my liver, and now my lungs are showing nodules as well. I saw three doctors and they all said it was scars tissue in my armpit, but it turned out to be a 2 cm Tumor. And we all know what happens when you get diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. I’m fighting it. I’m on my second type of oral chemo and I go in January to see if it’s working. I hope it is because on this chemo I’m really not feeling very bad I get very tired and my bones are starting to hurt a little bit but that’s nothing compared to some of the side effects, so yes, sorry for the long dissertation, you can smell cancer, but some people just don’t notice it. I just have a very strong sense of smell. I wish you all the best. Keep us all posted. Every one of us cares about you and you being prayed for.

It's strange but since it was brought up I do remember having an odor under my breasts that I had never had before. I bet it started 6 months to a year ago. I was diagnosed in July with ILC. It was almost a vinegar type smell. I noticed it at first on the bottom of my bra where my breasts sweat. In all my years (66) I had never had such a smell. I had a lumpectomy Aug 21, 2023 and I no longer have the odor. I thought it was from sweating, but I have heavy breasts and always perspired in the under them in the warm weather. It seems very possible to me that there may be something to this.

That's pretty much when I was diagnosed. And my road has been bumpy too. Mostly I've had a terrible reaction to chemo. My oncologist never tells me this stuff will happen, and when I tell her what's going on, she says; "yes, that can happen because..." How are you doing?
Kay

@jordan2433, have you had any other symptoms? Do you continue to do screening tests for those cancer types that have screening, like colonoscopy and mammogram?

brenda1252
Have you had an MRI breast or whole body scan? The MRI breast is what picked up my second tumor.

No other symptoms just a bad odor I can't seem to get rid of but I don't seem to smell bad to anyone else. It just seems weird to me. I have had mammograms but that's the only test I've had before. Blood work always comes back OK except for low iron

Yes!
I smelled an ammonia type smell on my dad before his diagnosis. No one else was able to smell it not even he did. I had always wondered if there was a connection between the smell and the cancer. I haven't seen anything or heard any one else mentioning anything similar until I came across your post.

My German shepherd would always smell my breast in the location where I later found out my tumor was. At the time I just kept thinking I spilled food or crumbs or something on my shirt.

They have been training dogs to sniff out cancer. I have a fairly sensitive nose and I never smelled my own. If we can’t smell our own lotion or perfume, I guess it makes sense that we not always smell our own cancer, truthfully I cannot say I have smelled any cancer, and I have been in the room with a lot of cancer in family, but I know the dogs can. I have watched some of the trials.
I also know a horse can sense or feel a change in a person about to have a heart attack (this person was riding bareback). My perfect little Jude just refused to walk any faster than a glacier with me trying to drag him. Three hours later my step dad had a massive heart attack resulting in open heart surgery. I never saw that little horse act that way before or after that day.
If you can smell your own cancer, can you smell other peoples cancer? Have you trained your nose at all, like perfumers do?

I believe this to be true. A few months before my diagnosis, one of my dogs would bury his nose in my chest and just sniff and sniff. It wasn't until after my diagnosis that I thought back and though maybe he DID smell it!
Also, I've never really had BO, unless really working our in yard all day in the summer. But I had noticed an off odor over the last several months. I am now 6 weeks post op and have smelled BO though.