‘Fit and Healthy’ Dad of Four, 57, Gets Random Whiffs of ‘Strange, Sweet Caramel Smell.’ It’s a Fatal Sign

Costa Fantis, a 57-year-old father of four and chip shop owner from Stoke-on-Trent, was living a normal, healthy life — until he began experiencing a bizarre, unexplained symptom: the occasional scent of sweet caramel.

According to his son Antonio, the random, phantom smell was the only warning sign of what would turn out to be a devastating diagnosis — stage 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive and incurable brain cancer.

“He kept smelling this strange sweet caramel scent,” Antonio told the Daily Mail. “It would come and go quickly, maybe once a month. We never imagined it could be something serious.”

The family initially linked the symptom to Costa’s childhood history of epilepsy and encouraged him to get a scan. “We thought it might be related to the epilepsy,” Antonio said. “He was fit, healthy — no other symptoms at all.”

But when Costa underwent medical testing in April 2024, doctors delivered heartbreaking news: he had IDH-wildtype glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain tumor. According to the Mayo Clinic, there is no cure — only treatments that may temporarily slow progression. The National Library of Medicine notes that this type of glioblastoma has a particularly poor survival rate.

Phantom smells, or phantosmia, are rare — but can sometimes be linked to brain tumors. For Costa, the caramel scent was the only indication something was wrong.

“It’s terrifying,” Antonio said. “It just proves that even a healthy, active person can have something this serious going on without knowing it.”

Since the diagnosis, Costa has undergone chemotherapy and radiation, but the family is now exploring alternative options, frustrated by the lack of progress in glioblastoma treatment. “In 20 years, the standard treatments haven’t changed,” Antonio noted.

Doctors have advised the family to focus on making the most of their time together. “We’ve been told to ‘just enjoy your life,’” Antonio said. “It’s the most heartbreaking advice you can hear.”