04:04 PM
Saturday, January 21, 2023
I wrote – Shaima Morsi
While most people are not able to recognize and detect early symptoms of cancer, odors associated with cancer may appear, especially in the later stages.
Cancer patients who receive palliative care generally have a tumor that has spread beyond the control of treatment, and at this point care focuses on reducing the patient’s symptom burden.
Whatever the cause of the cancer, there can be 3 sources of harmful odor including “necrosis, infection, and perspiration or secretions”.
In the case of necrosis, the odor tends to reflect dead or necrotic tissue or bacteria inside the wound, which smells similar to the smell of rotting meat or fruit, according to the Express website.
To prevent further infection, experts advise anyone with a foul odor coming from an open sore to seek medical attention immediately.
In most cases, a course of antibiotics will suffice to clear the infection, but more drastic measures may be warranted to remove dead tissue from the affected area.
In cancer, a superinfection is generally defined as an infection that occurs while taking antibiotics, or within a week of stopping them.
As a precaution, any patient with a foul-smelling wound is encouraged to seek treatment from a doctor, otherwise symptoms may progress.
Although these symptoms occur with all types of cancer, the ones that appear on the skin are different skin cancers.
Although affected moles are not a common feature of skin cancer, they do occur in severe forms of the disease such as melanoma.
In metastatic melanoma, the disease often spreads internally to organs, but some cases have infected tissues that mimic fungal infections.
In the early stages, the most common sign of skin cancer is a change in existing freckles and moles or the appearance of new marks.
Moles and freckles also contain cells known as melanocytes, which are responsible for producing concentrated areas of melanin, the skin pigment.
When the skin damages melanocytes, they turn into cancerous cells that may produce strange signs such as bleeding.
In addition, 70% of melanomas are new moles, which is why it is always important to check regularly for new moles as well as change them.
Non-melanoma skin cancer is a type directly related to sun exposure, and different types of skin cancer may display a “distinctive odor.”
This main characteristic of the disease is determined by the organic chemicals released by the skin, which humans cannot capture.
Thanks to several studies, researchers have proven that dogs have the ability to smell melanomas and other types of cancer.
So anyone who notices an abnormal mole or foul-smelling sore is advised to undergo a biopsy to rule out the possibility of cancer.
Also read:
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