Did or does your cancer have a smell?

• By willtosurvive
• Reply 230805
• December 24, 2008 at 11:14 am
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I did have the same experience. Before my diagnosis I had a discharge that the Dr kept treating as BV (the paps kept coming back normal with some bacteria). It was my third or forth examine in a couple of months when he visually saw the tumour and took a biopsy.

Anyhow... my complaint to the Dr was this discharge that was foul. I had thought it might be bladder related as at times it would be heavy (would "gush").

I too have the same troubles with how I feel about myself. While it is now gone (chemo/radiation/surgury) I always fear it will come back and while this probably sounds very strange I am on constant "odour" alert!

• By its_my_goliath
• Reply 230808
• December 24, 2008 at 11:26 am
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Yes, that part does go back to normal after treatment!

• By Rosepetals918
• Reply 232394
• December 27, 2008 at 10:05 pm
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I have not personally had this experience. However, I do work at a hospital and in my time there I used to work on an oncology floor. Cancer has a distinct smell. Whenever we would admit a patient with certain types of cancer the smell was very noticeable. I dont know exactly what causes the smell, but i have heard it goes away after successful treatment

• By zan1519
• Reply 296423
• February 22, 2009 at 11:38 am
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Did you notice your dogs smelling you more? DH doesn't smell anything different, but my Lab keeps wanting to smell me. It was what made me go in for a pap after too many years skipping it.

• By joann5454
• Reply 314962
• March 11, 2009 at 12:15 am
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I'm also a RN, and I believe cancer does have a "smell" I have often noticed it on pts who weren't diagnosed yet. When I started having sx----I said to myself-----that smells like cancer. AND it was!!

the good news is----its seems to have gone away with the radiation & chemo.

Hang in there!