Is cancer contagious?

In general, no. According to the National Cancer Institute, cancer is not a contagious disease that easily spreads from person to person. You cannot catch cancer from someone who has it, so it is safe to hug, share meals with, and care for a loved one with cancer.

There is one narrow exception. In the case of organ or tissue transplantation, a person who receives an organ or tissue from a donor who had cancer in the past may have a higher risk of a transplant-related cancer later. That risk is extremely low—about two cases of cancer per 10,000 organ transplants—and doctors avoid using organs or tissue from donors with a history of cancer.

Some cancers can be caused by certain viruses, such as some types of human papillomavirus (HPV), and bacteria, such as Helicobacter pylori. While a virus or bacterium can spread from person to person, the cancers they sometimes cause cannot spread that way.

Your healthcare team can answer any specific worries you have about being close to a loved one during their cancer care.