It’s impossible not to notice if your urine has an odd or stronger than usual smell.
Though diabetes can change urine odor, can cancer make it smell a certain way?
You may already know that issues with urine can be a sign of cancer.
- Blood in the urine
- Inability to pass urine despite feeling a strong urge
- Difficulty with passing
- Increased frequency of urination
However, foul, strong or sweet smelling urine is not caused by cancer, assures Jonathan Stegall, MD, an integrative oncologist and medical director for The Center for Advanced Medicine, an adult cancer treatment center in Alpharetta, GA.
Dr. Stegall points out that there are no actual studies supporting the idea that cancer can change the way your pee smells – at least as far as what the human nose can detect.
But what about the nose of a dog?
There are reports of trained dogs picking up the scent of cancer in the urine of people who had bladder cancer.
And though the dogs didn’t hit upon this 100 percent of the time, it occurred three times more often than what could result from mere chance alone.
But keep in mind that what a dog can smell from the human body is enormously more than what any human can smell.
Thus, it remains impossible for a human to be able to smell something from their urine that would be suspicious for any type of cancer.
Relax! If your urine smells stronger than usual or especially intense in the morning, this is probably due to dehydration, even if you don’t feel thirsty.
When your pee stinks its strongest, you’ll note that this is accompanied by a dark yellow or yellow-orange color.
These colors indicate that you have not been drinking enough water.
However, if you’ve been detecting a sweet or fruity odor from your urine, you should speak to your doctor about being tested for diabetes.
Jonathan Stegall, MD, provides a long-awaited remedy for our cancer problem. Having a successful integrative oncology practice in Atlanta, GA, he’s seen firsthand what works and what doesn’t with cancer treatment. Dr. Stegall is the creator of the Cancer Secrets Podcast and author of “Cancer Secrets,” available on Amazon.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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