Man, 57, diagnosed with brain cancer after only symptom was persistent bizarre smell
A British man was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer after noticing a strange change to his sense of smell.
57-year-old Costas Fantis, from Stoke-on-Trent, was in good health and experienced no other symptoms when he began detecting an unusual, sweet 'caramel' smell.
The dad-of-four was diagnosed with stage 4 IDH-wildtype glioblastoma - the most aggressive form of brain cancer - in April 2024 after going to the hospital to get checked out.
Costas' son, Antonio, 27, said: "All of our lives have just been flipped upside down.
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"His sense of smell changed and he kept getting this strange sweet, caramel smell.
"We didn't think much of it. We definitely didn’t know it was a symptom of something so serious."
Having only experienced that one bizarre symptom, the family were left shocked by Costas diagnosis.
Antonio added: "On the odd occasion he would have a caramel smell, a sweet smell. But it would happen very quickly, and once a month or so.
"From what we now know they define them as mini seizures, they last seconds, nothing happens to you whilst you do it."
Speaking of the family's reaction to the devastating cancer diagnosis, Antonio said: "We were shellshocked."
"We didn’t really know how to take it," Antonio added.
"We were worried, scared, nervous but then still trying to get to grips with the situation and what was going on because he had no symptoms.
"It just kind of proves that you can be a fit and healthy man yet still have something wrong with you."
Because of a stage four diagnosis, doctors quickly came to the conclusion Costas' tumor was inoperable.
The family have been left frustrated with the lack of treatment options offered in the UK, so are looking at where they could go next.
Antonio said: "The only things the NHS offer, which is the massive problem, and why we're doing the fundraising, is a course of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
"In the last 20 years the treatments haven't changed for glioblastomas in the UK."
Antonio admitted it's 'scary' considering the NHS can't really do much for him now, as he added: "Put it this way, they're telling us in the consultancy meetings not to cut back on anything and just enjoy your life, in the most harrowing way possible."
Nonetheless, the family is refusing to give up and have begun researching alternative therapies abroad.
Costas has now completed radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and has responded well - although it's still too early to know how effective the treatment has been.
The Brit is also set to receive the first round of a treatment, DC vaccine therapy in Munich, next week.
"It's harrowing what's going on with treatments for GMBs and the progress they’ve made over the last 20 years, not just for my dad but for every other patient who is suffering with the same thing," Antonio added.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with the costs, with close to $365,000 raised so far.
The total cost of the therapies the family are looking into is expected to total $627,000.
Callum Jones