Is cancer a communicable disease?

You can catch cancer from someone else is one of the common misconceptions that can add to your fear. Cancer isn’t a sickness that you can “catch.” Read on to know more.

The truth is close contact or things like sex, kissing, touching, sharing meals, or breathing the same air cannot spread cancer.

Is cancer contagious?

No, cancer is not contagious. It cannot be transmitted from one person to another by close contact or things like sex (protected or unprotected), kissing, touching, sharing meals, or breathing the same air. Cancer happens because of damage or mutations in the DNA that makes up otherwise healthy cells.

Some evidence suggests that cancer can be spread through organ transplants if your immune system is weak. Also, your risk of developing certain cancers can increase if you’re exposed to infectious bacteria or viruses like human papillomavirus (HPV), which are contagious.

Why cancer might appear to be contagious

We know that cancer is not contagious, but why does it appear to be so? Let’s find out.

• Infections

There are some viral or bacterial infections like human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause certain types of cancer. So, some people are of the wrong notion that you can catch cancer from someone who has the disease. But the truth is, though these viral or bacterial infections can be contagious, the cancer linked to the infections is not contagious.

• Family history

If your parents or a family member has cancer then he can pass down genes that may increase your risk of developing certain types of cancer, which are called hereditary cancers. Always remember that having these genes doesn’t mean you’re sure to get cancer at some point in your life. Like many other genes, these genes are affected by various factors, such as your diet and environment that influence whether you get cancer.

• Cancer clusters

People sometimes assume cancer is contagious when they find clusters of cancer patients. However, the cancer clusters can be due to unhealthy lifestyles and exposure to cancer-causing agents.

• Cancer during organ transplant

In rare cases, the cancer cells get transmitted from the organ donor to the receiver during organ transplant and start growing there. So, people who undergo organ transplants need to take medications to weaken their immunity so that their body doesn’t attack the transplanted organ.

• Cancer during pregnancy

If a pregnant woman has cancer, it can rarely affect her unborn child, though some cancers can spread from the mother to the placenta.