PharmD Info

[Ria Menachery]

I am 30 year old female diagnosed with cancer.I have symptoms of cold and flu.Will cancer spread through common cold?

[Maria Sony Paul]

In general, Cancer is not a contagious disease that easily spreads from person to person. The only situation in which cancer can spread from one person to another is in the case of organ or tissue transplantation and that too in very rare cases. If you have common cold, take care as you are at a higher risk of developing other complications due to your weakened immune system.

[M DARSHAN NAIR]

• Cancer is not a contagious diseases like the infectious disease and does not spread through contact like kissing, touching, sharing a meal and generally cancer cells from one individual cannot live in the body of another healthy individual.
• Cancer be spread only through organ transplant from an cancerous patient to a healthy patient and even blood banks also do not accept blood from cancer patients, even though there is no evidence that cancer can be transmitted by blood transfusion.

[Nithyavasu]

The short answer is no. “Cancer in itself is not contagious. A healthy person can’t catch cancer from someone else. But certain diseases that can be transmitted from person to person can increase the likelihood of cancer, which is probably where the misperception comes from.

[Naghul adhithya k s]

Cancer is NOT contagious.
There is no evidence that close contact or things like physical relationship or physical contact or breathing the same air can spread cancer from one person to another. Cancer cells from one person are generally unable to live in the body of another healthy person.but there are few exceptions like cervical cancer.