A whiff of caramel, then a life-changing diagnosis
Vital Signs
Male, 57
Gets whiffs of a sweet caramel smell
Brain scans administered
Inoperable brain tumor diagnosed
It started with a strange smell—sweet, almost like caramel. No pain, no other symptoms. Just a fleeting, unexplained scent that came and went.
For one healthy 57-year-old dad, this odd sensory blip turned out to be the only warning sign of something far more serious. Here’s how a phantom smell led to a life-changing diagnosis. []
The Patient
Costa Fantis, a 57-year-old father of four and a chip-shop owner from Stoke-on-Trent in England, had episodes of epilepsy as a child, but had been in good health since.
He was physically active, had no current medical concerns, and showed no neurological symptoms—no headaches, no seizures, no cognitive changes.
But something unusual had started to happen: Once a month, out of nowhere, he’d catch a whiff of a sweet, caramel-like scent.
No one else could smell it, and it didn’t correspond to anything in his environment. He mentioned it casually to his wife and didn’t think much of it—until the episodes kept recurring.
Related: How a rare cancer was misdiagnosed as schizophrenia for 10 yearsThe Tests
Because of the persistence of these phantom smells—called phantosmia—his family encouraged him to bring it up with a physician.
"We told him to have a scan and said it's probably going to be in relation to the epilepsy. We weren't really thinking anything of it at all, as he was a really fit and healthy man," his son, Antonio, told People. []
The scans revealed a brain lesion that immediately raised red flags.
The Diagnosis
Fantis was diagnosed with a glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype—an aggressive, stage IV tumor that has no cure. Glioblastoma is the most common malignant primary brain tumor in adults, and the IDH-wildtype subtype is known for its rapid progression and poor outcomes. []
"Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive and complex brain cancers, often diagnosed with little warning," wrote Jung Park, MD, neurosurgeon at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, in an Instagram caption.
What made this case especially notable was the complete absence of classic symptoms: no headaches, no seizures, no weakness or speech difficulties.
The only presenting symptom was phantosmia—a rare but documented early sign of temporal lobe involvement. In this case, the sweet “caramel” smell likely stemmed from olfactory cortex irritation caused by tumor growth.
The Treatment
Radiation and temozolomide make up the initial treatment for those diagnosed with this type of tumor. []
As many physicians know all too well, the options for glioblastoma—especially the IDH-wildtype variant—are limited, and no curative therapies currently exist.
Fantis has undergone chemotherapy and radiation for the tumor, but is looking into alternative treatments.
Related: Bizarre discovery stuns doctors during teen’s surgeryThe Takeaway
This case is a powerful reminder that even seemingly benign sensory changes can be the harbinger of serious disease. Phantosmia may not be high on the differential for many clinicians, but it deserves attention—especially when persistent, unexplained, or unusual in character.
“It just kind of proves that you can be a fit and healthy man yet still have something wrong with you,” Antonio said. []
While glioblastoma remains a devastating diagnosis, early detection through attention to subtle clues like this may offer patients and families more time to prepare, explore options, and make informed decisions about care.