Cancer stinks!

donfoo
donfoo Member Posts: 1,771 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

We usually say cancer sucks but it can stink, literally. Not many use a foul smell as the symtom to get to the doctor but might help someone someday.

Before I was diagnosed, a number of months went by where my family constantly complained about my bad breath. I tried every possible remedy to no avail. When finally seeing the doctor and then the ENT about cancer, the cancer indeed was causing a foul odor in my mouth. The cancer at BOT was necrotic meaning basically dead cells back there were generating the bad breath!

Once in awhile you read stories about pets acting differently around people who have cancer. There is science to back this up and not some sixth sense. With their much stronger sense of smell I really do believe many cancers can give off some sort of smell. I'm surprised more serious research has not gone into this. They train dogs to smell all sorts of scents, why not cancer?

Comments

  • TracyLynn72
    TracyLynn72 Member Posts: 839
    #2
    I recently read

    a study that said dogs DO smell cancer.  There are some more specifically trained, but that overall they do smell the scent that cancer gives off.  Very interesting!!  My dog was such a huge part of my recovery and did not leave my side once I was home.  He died last December (of cancer that no one knew he even had), so I wonder if he felt like we were "the same" in some way.  I miss that sweet boy.

  • Anonymous7/6/2023
    Anonymous7/6/2023 Member Posts: 176
    #3
    Cats too!

    It's been true in our house. Just before my tumour began to grow, when it was still a puckered in white patch, my eldest cat would just sit on my chest, quietly, gazing at me.

    When the tumour began to really grow and ulcerate, she would keep tapping my on my mouth and chin.

    Before all this, she often LAY on my chest to sleep, but never sat there, and certainly never tapped my mouth.

    It really does give me goosebumps, this does. Animals are very, very special.

  • Kritter
    Kritter Member Posts: 147
    #4
    Stinks.. agree

    I agree as well, my little dogs would smell my nose and turn their heads. And then lay their face next to mine. I wish they would check more into this, as pets can detect all sorts of things including bad weather.

    Kritter

  • Guzzle
    Guzzle Member Posts: 710
    #5
    Kritter said:

    Stinks.. agree

    I agree as well, my little dogs would smell my nose and turn their heads. And then lay their face next to mine. I wish they would check more into this, as pets can detect all sorts of things including bad weather.

    Kritter

    K9

    Don as well as the obvious what you would call K9 units can detect money, phones -the list is endless. Noses are so sensitive it is virtually limitless. Obviously not just dog. Pigs are used to find truffles!

  • Guzzle
    Guzzle Member Posts: 710
    #6
    Guzzle said:

    K9

    Don as well as the obvious what you would call K9 units can detect money, phones -the list is endless. Noses are so sensitive it is virtually limitless. Obviously not just dog. Pigs are used to find truffles!

    machine

    Read in paper a machine has been developed that detects infections on hospital wards i.e. An electronic nose !

  • Kritter
    Kritter Member Posts: 147
    #7
    Website.. dogs and cancer

    Stumbled onto this website. www.dogsdetectcancer.org. Seems what we were all thinking they are actually in the process of doing. I found it quite interesting. My little dogs still sniff my nose and turn away, ( I think they are saying take a tic tac please, smile! ) I think they can smell the awful smell I do. I think mine is the infection I get, as at times it smells like something died in my nose. But no one else seems to smell it but me. Strange!

    Kritter

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #8
    Smell

     

    Good point that may be the reason my pit-bull always acted different when she was around me. She knew I was sick and was trying to help the best way she could.

     

    Tim Hondo

  • jim and i
    jim and i Member Posts: 1,788 Member
    #9
    I remember Jim always had bad

    I remember Jim always had bad breath. Wish I had known it was cancer. Then maybe he could have survived.

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