The short answer
Cancer is not contagious — you cannot catch it from another person through contact. But some infections that can be passed between people, like HPV, raise the risk of certain cancers.
You cannot catch cancer from another person.
Touching, kissing, sharing food, or caring for someone with cancer is safe.
Some infections that spread between people can raise cancer risk over time.
Examples include HPV, hepatitis B and C, and H. pylori.
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The full explanation.
The clear answer
Cancer is not contagious. You cannot catch it from another person. Being close to, touching, kissing, sharing food with, or caring for someone who has cancer carries no risk of the cancer passing to you.
Where the confusion comes from
The confusion usually comes from infections. A few germs that can spread between people also raise the long-term risk of certain cancers. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is linked to cervical and several other cancers, hepatitis B and C are linked to liver cancer, and the stomach bacterium H. pylori is linked to stomach cancer. In these cases the infection is what spreads — not the cancer itself, and most people with these infections never develop cancer.
The rare transplant exception
Passing cancer through an organ transplant is extremely rare. Donors are screened carefully to keep that risk very low.
Lowering infection-related risk
Because some cancers are tied to infections, steps that prevent or treat those infections can lower risk. Vaccines against HPV and hepatitis B, and treatment for hepatitis C or H. pylori, are examples worth discussing with a doctor.
Words to know
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Common questions
▸Can I catch cancer from someone?
No. Cancer is not contagious. You cannot get it by being near, touching, kissing, or caring for a person who has cancer.
▸Then how do infections fit in?
A few infections that can pass between people — such as HPV, hepatitis B and C, and the stomach bacterium H. pylori — can raise the long-term risk of certain cancers. The infection is spread, not the cancer.
▸Can an organ transplant pass on cancer?
This is extremely rare. Donors are screened carefully to reduce the risk, making transmission through transplant very unusual.
▸Can I lower infection-related risk?
Yes. Vaccines against HPV and hepatitis B, and treatment for hepatitis C or H. pylori, can reduce the risk of the cancers linked to them.
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