I worked at a mouse lab that studied cancer genes and the cancers defineatly have a certain smell not unlike the OP describes. Not to be crude but I can also often smell when it's that time of the month for many women, given the right conditions such as not too many competeing scents. Just a smell, not good or bad.

My cat has an uncanny sense of pain in humans. He will zero in on the pain spot and lick it. He has to be comfortable with the person first. If only we would focus our energies on positive outlets rather than constantly competing to beat each other.

You may be surprised to find out that you are in good company. A lot of people can smell diseases. I have always had an ultra keen sense of smell and hearing. My vision leaves much to be desired but my other senses seem to be a bit elevated. I work in the medical profession and have been around sickness and disease for over thirty years. My keen sense of smell has served both me and my patient's well. I used to think that my talent was unique but I don't even come close. I have run into numerous members of the medical field that can recognize the scent of a particular disease or infection. Some of this is of course do to familiarity but I think that like the ability to smell arsenic, a bit of it is in our genes.

Comrads, I'm like many of you; I have smelled the smell that you have written about, and as a youngster I always associated it with death, because that person would usually be dead within 6 months. I can really notice the smell when I get up close to those people, or when they have been in their home for a while, their whole home takes on the smell.

There is a woman now whom I'm associated with that I have noticed the smell, yet others have not smelled it, or at least they have said nothing. I'm pretty sure she will be dead like all of the others within six months.

I dont think you are crazy. My husband always calls my nose the "hound dog". I can smell things that no one else can. It can be minor traces and I smell it. It almost drives me nuts until I find what is causing the odor and erase it.

I dont think you're crazy, but maybe gifted. I'd use it to help others.

Totally possible, yes. Folks who work in medicine develop this tendency, too--the distinctive "ketone smell" of diabetics being the first example that comes to mind.

Also true of urinalysis, which may sound icky but is a fact of life for those who work in labs--there are certain smells associated with specific bacteria, present in sweat and waste products. UTIs are easy to detect; someone who's had a couple can usually tell by scent before any tests are done (but we do them anyway, of course).

If you're around that kind of scent a lot, either as part of your job or (one would hope not, but sadly it does happen) due to the illness of someone you live with... yeah, you learn to identify those diseases by smell.

Hadn't heard of cancer being one of those, before, but it would be more surprising if it weren't, frankly.

OP have you ever had a serious convo with a doctor about this? I know there is always a possibility they will call in the men in white oh I kid... But they could help you quantify your findings and write you up in a report or something... Maybe it's very specific types of cancer.

Do you ever... or would you ever tell a work college or family / friends if you detected the smell? I suppose that would be very tricky,

Have you ever noticed it on someone that had not yet been diagnosed? And then later was?

If they are undergoing treatment that could cuase it.

i believe it, maybe ill come over and let you smell me, though be warned i smoke alot so i might smell bad.

I heard dogs can smell cancer as well, you must then have a dogs nose.

Originally posted by avriel
Eventually I grew older and joined the navy, initially as a radar operater but changing trades to be a medic ten years later. It was during my medical training that I became aware of this sickly sweet smell again. Whilst working on the medical wards of a large hospital I noticed that the patients being treated for cancer all permeated this smell. At that time I thought it might be something to do with the treatment they were recieving. However as I moved onto the outpatients department and began meeting patients that were supposedly in remiision I noticed that the smell was still there.
Recently I met a woman that had returned to work after a long period of illness (What the illness was, was at that time never stated) She too permeated this sick sweet smell. Today she anounced that she had been treated for cancer and that it was thought that it had been succesfully treated. However she has now unfortunately been told that the cancer has returned. I guess that this is what I was smelling.

Thank God for you! You're in the right profession then for such a skill. I hope you're able to pin down what exactly it is that's causing the smell and help revolutionize cancer detection.

Originally posted by avriel
Am I going mad,

I don't think so. Madness doesn't usually drive people to become a medic.

Originally posted by avriel
or is it really possible to be aware of this smell ?

Why not? Perhaps you have the right receptors for detection.

Originally posted by avriel
I can't be the only person that can smell it surely ?

I'm thinking it's uncommon, but apparently not impossible (as someone pointed out about professional exposure versus detection). I'm allergic to dust and have come to smell/taste dust. It's a very dry and bitter smell/taste, like someone wiped rotten lemon on my tongue.

[edit on 2-2-2009 by saint4God]

I have worked with hundreds of horses. Two that had been diagnosed with cancer had a very sweet smelling urine. So now I am very aware if I noticed that smell in the stall. Also for a few years before my husband was diagnosed with kidney cancer he would break out in heavy night sweats that would smell "burnt" almost like a pungent residue. I mentioned this to the doctors and they dismissed me. He had been complaining of these sweats for several years at his checkups and the doctor didn't seem to think it meant anything. After surgery to remove the tumor he stopped sweating and has been great for 7 years. But if I smell that again we will be at the oncologist ASAP!

Not only can we smell cancer there are other diseases as well that put out an odor

I worked with stroke patients, they have a certain odor, even before they have the stroke I can smell it on them,

Before my daughter was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes I could smell it on her, after she began treatment the smell went away.

When I was deeply involved with healing work i had this heightened sense of awareness, all my sense were stronger, almost to the point of being uncomfortable in my own skin,

It was very hard on me physically.

[edit on 092828p://bSaturday2009 by Stormdancer777]

Interesting...

Never made the connection before, but very often in my life I have avoided people or households or both because I didn't like the smell...

Looking back those families and people were never fortunate in the health department in the scheme of things

I believe this, I'm quite sure listening to this I have been smelling diseases my whole life.

The reason i'm so sure is because I never, ever get sick... on 20 years or so now at least, it's because I smell and avoid the exposure, I always wondered what made my immune system work good...

But listening to this, it is a simple connection to make, I have smell sensitive to germs and merely avoid allot more germs than most people do...

Fascinating

To those who asked if it is a sweet smell the answer is yes, a sort of sweet pungent smell but not a nice smell.
Interestingly I was talking to a doctor today and I turned the conversation towards this subject. She had come across a few medical proffesionals that could smell different illnesses. Apparently people have been reporting it for years but nobody has really taken it seriously until recently. She said that she herself can smell differences between different types of surgical ward but could not detect a specific smell on individuals. She put this down to the amount of illness in one place at one time. She then mentioned that a group of scientists were now actually working on sniffing machines for certain illnesses, although this has come about through the use of sniffer dogs and not through any human talents which have always, sadly, been ignored.
Reading all of your replies it appears that their may be a few us that can smell this disease (and others). Good to know I'm totaly sane

i too am able to smell cancer as i'm a CNA who has worked in nursing homes and currently with a home hospice...the first time i was bathing one of my lung cancer patients and the sickly sweet of burnt sugar was on her breath, i knew what it was. i've not noticed being able to smell any other specific cancers, but a patient of mine who was a retired army rn said that she too could smell ovarian cancer.

lots of people always think people like us are crazy for being able to smell cancer, specific diseases, or just the general death smell, (unforgettable but a daily smell for me)