This is a common myth among people particularly in the Indian sub-continent. When you visit Adyar Cancer Institute in Chennai one of the prominent signs you will see is to emphasize that cancer is not contagious. There is no risk of getting cancer by attending to or taking care of a cancer patient.

National Cancer Institute (http://www.cancer.gov/), US federal agency for cancer research also confirms it. According to NCI 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. A person who receives an organ or tissue from a donor who had cancer in the past may be at increased risk of developing a transplant-related cancer in the future. However, that risk is extremely low—about two cases of cancer per 10,000 organ transplants. Doctors avoid the use of organs or tissue from donors who have a history of cancer.

In some people, cancers may be caused by certain viruses (some types of human papillomavirus, or HPV, for example) and bacteria (such as Helicobacter pylori). NCI also confirms that while a virus or bacterium can spread from person to person, the cancers they sometimes cause, cannot spread from person to person.

It is a well known fact that the fight against cancer requires early detection and treatment. India Today magazine published an article last year that covered several aspects of the state of cancer in India. It covers what are the danger signs that Indians should look for. It also talks about the missed cues by many Indians in detecting and treating cancer early. The report highlights the statistics on the grim reality of cancer deaths in India many of which could be prevented with early detection and treatment. By using examples of celebrities who fought against cancer and survived the article encourages Indians to be aware of the benefits of early detection. The article asks “Hasn’t Koirala fought her way back to recovery? Didn’t we witness Yuvraj Singh, 32, powering back to cricket after beating back germ cell cancer? Hasn’t actor Lisa Ray, 41, bounced back to a winning career after her aggressive bone marrow myeloma?”. Read the full article by India Today here.

Picture courtesy: India Today.

The American Cancer Society has released new guidelines for breast cancer screening. Among the changes, the new recommendations say all women should begin having yearly mammograms at age 45, and can change to having mammograms every other year beginning at age 55.

The guidelines were published October 20, 2015 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The highlight of the recommendation is women should be able to start the screening as early as age 40, if they want to. It’s a good idea to start talking to your health care provider at age 40 about when you should begin screening. At age 55, women should have mammograms every other year – though women who want to keep having yearly mammograms should be able to do so.

Read more about the guideline at American Cancer Society website.