Can you get cancer from eating or drinking after a cancer patient?

Cancer is a cellular disease that spreads through the entire victim's body, correct? So, cancer cells should be in all the types of cells in the victim's body, right? Including blood, saliva, etc.

So, if you eat or drink after someone who has cancer, is there a chance that you'll get the cancer too?

Originally posted by ThunderCloud
Cancer is a cellular disease that spreads through the entire victim's body, correct? So, cancer cells should be in all the types of cells in the victim's body, right? Including blood, saliva, etc.

So, if you eat or drink after someone who has cancer, is there a chance that you'll get the cancer too?

In this day and age, I would hope most people know this..no, you can not get cancer fom drinking after someone

I think your digestive system would kill any cells that came in that way. Im no Doctor, but I dont think it could enter you the way a virus could, like that kissing disease...

I think you're thinking of cooties.

Pretty sure cancer isn't contagious to anyone else.

Though interestingly it has characteristics of an internal contagen. Someone will correct me I'm sure on this, but here's what the surgeon that botched my Mom's tumor removal said.

I screwed up. We got it all. But not before it broke. It's like scrambling eggs, so for a while her "cancer count" will go up and it may spread, but it's not my fault. She knew this going in.

Then she died.

I never thought of that one, but let me not answer your question, but say...

I seriously hope not, and don't think so.

However I hope someone knowlegable can answer this simple question.

Cancer is not contagious but you can have a genetic makeup that is makes you more suseptable to it. That's why, if you have a problem, the doctor will ask if your family has a history of this. They also ask the same question for high blood preasure, heart disease, etc.

Thats the one I was trying to think of. And Im very sorry about your mom RANT.

[edit on 9-1-2004 by William One Sac]

There have been studies that indicate microbial or viral action causes some cancers.... I shall try and dig up some info, i remember hearing it on the BBC some time ago I think.

It is impossible to get cancer after drinking or touching a person ill of cancer. One simple reason : cancerigen cells are found only in one part of the human body, the cells aren`t located everywhere. When you get your tumor extracted, they cut only the sick part of the body, not the WHOLE body.

And another thing.. I`ve been a photographer for a local newspaper, and when I was sent to the oncology department in the hospital ( that`s the place where the medical staff treats cancer-sick people ), no one stopped me entering, neither did they give me specific clothes and medical masks to wear. And I`m sure the doctors know wether cancer is transmitted thru contact or air.. And it`s not.

Originally posted by Kapnobatai
When you get your tumor extracted, they cut only the sick part of the body, not the WHOLE body.

Obviously I really don't understand what happened with my Mom. Her tumor was undiagnosed for years. It was 8 pounds upon removal but she lost 50 pounds of accumulated fluid in the operation. So somehow (as evident by the doctors crappy explanation), it spread after the operation even though it was initially contained to just her uterus/ovaries.

Similar thing happened to my Uncle though the huge tumor in his stomach was benign so nothing happened. And when he swelled up for no reason they caught it early. With women they don't do CAC125 scans (I think that's it) for some reason until they practically know it's cancer. They just told her she was fat and mistreated for thyroid for years while she got malignant.

I'm getting something. Lump in my throat and something in my side, plus other problems...but eh. I'm sick of dealing with doctors. They're idots, and I'm broke now and can't get insurance. Screw it. Vote Kerry, save the next guy.

Sorry to hear that, man.. I thought malpraxis is just the case in 2nd and 3rd world countries.. Cancer can be a genetic disease. And nevertheless, you should go see a doctor. Even if you don`t trust them anymore.

Cancer is not contagious because the cells are from that body, and they are made to function in the body. These cells are normal cell, with all the DNA of that person, that for some reason started multiplying without control.

RANT

Probably what happened to your mother was something similar to what happened to my father and tends to happen in the cases of prostate cancer.
What happens with prostate cancer is that the proximity of the prostate with the hip bones makes the cancer cells spread to the bones. If they reach the bones then the cancer cells may spread by the blood vessels and they tend to relocate more on some places than others.
In my father's case they relocated on the brain, and in the last 1 1/2 months he had difficulty walking, sometimes in talking and eating.

About that lump in your throat you should really see a doctor, and tell him the family history of diseases. It may be nothing special, but if you smoke or work or live in places with much smoke or dust, you should do make some tests.

The attitude of the doctors in your mothers case shows what I already heard, that here in Portugal all the health system is prepared to deal with cancer patients, and we have very good doctors (except mine, who is a jerk).

We should not be paranoid, but we should deny ignorance, so start by knowing if anything is wrong with you.

If you want, you can go to the The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy , they have lots of information, it was there that I learned all I know about medicine.

does any one know sucess rate for full recovery on people who have brain tumors?... i just foundout last week that my gf had a brain tumor..size of an eyeball,, she held off on telling me so i wouldnt be worried liek her..i guess that explains her bad headaches and migraines for the past month.. she finds out today if its cancerous or not.. im scared to death and been worrying all day every day.. shes only 18 and has some of the worst luk her whole life, why is it that the worst and bad things happen to good people, and never to the bad people.. ,, man this makes me so sad...i hate seeing her in pain ...

The worst & bad things do happen to bad people. It's just that nobody gives a damn about it. And that's the way it should be.

Originally posted by Frostburner
does any one know sucess rate for full recovery on people who have brain tumors?... i just foundout last week that my gf had a brain tumor..size of an eyeball,, she held off on telling me so i wouldnt be worried liek her..i guess that explains her bad headaches and migraines for the past month.. she finds out today if its cancerous or not.. im scared to death and been worrying all day every day.. shes only 18 and has some of the worst luk her whole life, why is it that the worst and bad things happen to good people, and never to the bad people.. ,, man this makes me so sad...i hate seeing her in pain ...

The success depends on who early the tumor was discovered and the location. I hope that in this case is nothing very serious.

Good luck to both.

I'm apprehensive about posting this for fear some will misunderstand the relationship between some virus' and cancer. But in the interest of denying ignorance I think it's important.

Let me caveat my post by saying just because there may be a viral link this does not establish a casual contact link.

Cervical cancer in women has been linked to the HPV virus. There are hundred of HPV viruses that cause everything from warts to general infections. But in some women the HPV virus actually causes changes in the cell itself and can lead to cervical cancer.

There are is also an interesting study being conducted by Australian scientists showing a possible viral cause to some instances of breast cancer. Breast Cancer study

This link contains a study in which men who are circumcised are less likely to contract and spread the HPV virus.

And then there is Cell Genesys This is a site I am currently reading. They are attempting to develop vaccines for Prostate, Lung, Pacreatic, Myeloma, and Leukemia cancers. I'm currently working on an article for the ignorancedenied site of ATS.

Cell Genesys' GVAX� cancer vaccines are comprised of whole tumor cells that have been genetically modified to secrete granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), a hormone that systemically activates the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. The tumor cells are then lethally irradiated for safety.

I lost my Aunt last night after a 10 year battle with breast cancer. She tried every known treatment and fought it to the very end. The research that is currently being tested today didn't save her and may not be ready for us - but wouldn't it be wonderful if it could be developed in time for our children.

Found an interesting site... www.mercola.com...

Talk about how fungal infections are often misdiagnosed as cancer. Fungal infections are contagious.

Fungal infections not only can be extremely contagious, but they also go hand in hand with leukemia -- every oncologist knows this. And these infections are devastating: once a child who has become a bone marrow transplant recipient gets a "secondary" fungal infection, his chances of living, despite all the antifungals in the world, are only 20%, at best.
And then the unthinkable thought arises: what if all of these children didn't even have leukemia, but rather a fungal infection, just as this nurse did? If doctors, in the 21st century, could mistake a fungal infection for leukemia in this nurse, could the same fate have fallen upon these children?

It goes on to talk about how fungal infections might be a cause of leukemias.

It's feasable for viruses to cause various cancers as cancers are caused by mutations to our DNA that cause cells to continuously divide (in a nutshell). Chemicals, radiation, pollutants all can cause this damage to our DNA, why couldn't viruses? HPV is getting a lot of press lately and many links are shown. Too bad something like 80% of the adult population has some sort of HPV - many strains have no visible symptoms (aka warts).

Anyhow.. cancer effects OUR DNA, and not someone elses. That kind of mutation isn't contagious. Cancer is not a foreign body with its own DNA programmed to attack to survive, its a mutation of our own.

[edit on 1-9-2004 by RedBalloon]

Originally posted by ThunderCloud
Cancer is a cellular disease that spreads through the entire victim's body, correct? So, cancer cells should be in all the types of cells in the victim's body, right? Including blood, saliva, etc.

So, if you eat or drink after someone who has cancer, is there a chance that you'll get the cancer too?

Hi Thundercloud, I'm not a physician but......I found this great website
about alternative therapies.

educate-yourself.org...

Don't believe in everything the medical establishment tells you, it is as
most everything now and day's based on the "almighty" fiat currency.
I read somewhere that cancer is caused by bacteria and or virus that
become extremely toxic due to a lack of oxygen in the body, thats why
smokers are so at risk.

They have even found bacteria that can live in a nuclear reactor!
If that is possible, then the above mentioned theory doesn't seem
so far fetched.

Don't believe in everything the alternative therapies say either, I know a person who has tried everything and everyone she knows to try to cure is son, because the doctors said he could not be cured, but the only thing she got was a lot of deceptions and a lot of lost money, she even went to the Philippines, from Portugal, to try a cure.

That does not mean that all alternative therapies are bad, only that we should be more careful. I was treated with a alternative therapy because of a problem with a salivary gland that the doctors said it should be removed with an operation, and all I had to do was to make a treatment with a kind of clay that we have where I live and take some pills that where made in France specifically for me.

You are wise beyond your years Armap......yes that is correct, there will always be someone out to make a quick buck.