Smelling cancer!

Posted by trixie1313 @trixie1313, Jan 26, 2019

Did anyone smell their cancer before diagnosis? For months I kept smelling a strong ammonia-type smell and would have prickly heat waking me in the middle of the night as well as my breast swelling. I'd ask family members if they could smell anything on me and they did not. I drank more water, changed my eating habits, but nothing stopped it. After my first lumpectomy, most of the smell had gone. After the second lumpectomy/partial mastectomy, it was completely gone. Now, 2 1/2 months post-surgery, I am starting to smell that smell again and getting quite concerned that maybe cancer is coming back somewhere. I have 9 more radiation treatments to go and finished my TC chemo in October, but was chemo resistant.

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@pjsfla

I have nothing helpful to add here , Just wanted to say that every time a dog runs up to sniff me , I wonder if its the MBC that attracks them , LOLOL. Theres been an urban legend for years that dogs can smell cancer ( apparently not science based ) but LOL , Dogs just are natural sniffers . I just always freak out a little tiny bit , just wondering if they do . I think it might be nice to see a Dr Doggie for sniffs vs the PET Scans .

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Hi I enjoyed your post and the picture .
My dog, a sheltie smelled my triple negative breast cancer.
I had been diagnosed already and was exercising on the floor and she came over and sniffed my breast area and she pulled back like yuck what is that. Not sweating either. Wished I would have excersize sooner to find the cancer sooner. Dogs are amazing.

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I had a wire fox terrier that smelled it. When he sat on my lap, he would put his nose between my breasts, and sniff. I did not smell it either time. I had breast cancer twice.

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@thseabreze

I had a wire fox terrier that smelled it. When he sat on my lap, he would put his nose between my breasts, and sniff. I did not smell it either time. I had breast cancer twice.

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My old Jack Russell rescue could smell my second recurrence of MBC in my lower spine. When sitting on the sofa he’d wedge himself in between me and the sofa cushion.

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Yes, I stunk. For about 6 months before small tumor was found I woke up with really intense B.O. Generally only in one pit, but it could be either side. Washing didn't take it all away. I even looked up B.O. and cancer, but didn't see this then.
Four days ago I had lumpectomy/lymph node removal on left side. Since then I haven't worn deodorant and I don't stink at all. I'm not cleaner than before or anything. I've always had a very strong sense of smell and will make sure I pay attention to this. Trust yourself!

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@nocancerpam

Yes, I stunk. For about 6 months before small tumor was found I woke up with really intense B.O. Generally only in one pit, but it could be either side. Washing didn't take it all away. I even looked up B.O. and cancer, but didn't see this then.
Four days ago I had lumpectomy/lymph node removal on left side. Since then I haven't worn deodorant and I don't stink at all. I'm not cleaner than before or anything. I've always had a very strong sense of smell and will make sure I pay attention to this. Trust yourself!

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Your comment is sooo interesting as I noticed the same thing for yrs but never put the two together. What I did notice is my sweet highly intelligent dog kept prodding my right breast. I began checking my breasts very carefully when she did this. She, Ellie, is an Australian Sheperd that had an incredible sense of smell. (side note, Ellie just passed away very from a highly aggressive canine breast cancer last week within a month of notable tumors. I was due for my annual gynecology exam with a mammogram that I never skip or put off. That is when my mammogram called me back for further diagnostics in May 2022. Thank you for posting as now I know why my deodorant and frequent bathing didn't help. I had a double mastectomy with multiple lymph nodes removed and it seems to have settled back to my normal. This actually makes sense. I hope this is studied further so it can be considered a red flag for further follow-up.

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I did notice my mom had that type of smell (she wiped down with body wipes everyday ) and it was odd because I smelled that same smell a couple months back on me. I don’t know how to explain it to others. I know what you’re describing though!

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Hello! I hope you are doing well and recovering.
Yes, I do believe people can smell cancer. I do. I've been a nurse for 14 years, and I'd always know ahead of results a patient had cancer, low blood sugar, lung cancer or liver (high lfts) The smell is distinct, I wouldn't say unpleasant, but definitely noticeable.
You are your best doctor, and you have a gift to be able to save your life. Get it checked out, and I hope you get well. Sending my thoughts and prayers 🙏

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@billchitwood

I have almost no sense of smell, yet over the years I've had such a strong horrible smell from a few people that it almost made me sick. No one else could smell it and they had good sense of smell. Within a few months it was determined that those people all had cancer. Your comment about the gas leak triggered a memory as well. Once I could smell gas clear across the house from a closed garage. I called the gas company the next morning and they indicated I couldn't possibly have smelled it but sent someone to check it out. They couldn't find anything until they were about ready to leave and discovered a very small leak near the hot water heater. They still maintained that there was no way I could have smelled it.

Now I can hardly get near my 88 year old husband as the smell is so bad! He has Stage 3 Kidney (CKD), which can smell like urine but normally only in later stages. Nobody else in the family notices it. Even as a kid I couldn't pick up on odors - unless it was a skunk and I would comment on that but it never smelt as bad to me as to everyone else!

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Hi there,
Can you plz, tell that what kind of smell were you able to sense. I'm actually doing a research over it so it would be a great help to me.
Hope to get your response.
Thank you

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At times I've been almost overcome with someone's smell, that didn't seem to bother anyone else. Later both women were diagnosed with cancer. I have almost no sense of smell normally. I can't describe the smell other than it almost made me want to throw up it would be so strong.
Our family doctor commented one time that he always leaned over to smell his patient's breathe as it could tell him a lot.
A mass spectrometer was adapted from space use into medical use in order to interpret patient's breathe.
'
And our dogs always gathered closer to the kids when they were sick.

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@veenu

Hi there,
Can you plz, tell that what kind of smell were you able to sense. I'm actually doing a research over it so it would be a great help to me.
Hope to get your response.
Thank you

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Mine was a very bad BO smell like I forgot yo put deodorant on then took a five mile walk and the sweat dried. I could not get rid of that smell. It didn’t have it on my right side. Even after scrubbing and using deodorant the smell would not go away. After my mastectomy it was gone.

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