On hearing the word cancer, people get scared. This concern increases further, especially when it comes to children. Parents often wonder whether cancer can spread from person to person like an infection, or whether the disease can be transmitted to children from birth. While spread of infection is common in serious diseases like AIDS, is the same with cancer? There are many misconceptions and fears regarding this question. So, let us know whether cancer can spread to children like AIDS and what experts say about it.
Is cancer a contagious disease?
According to experts, cancer is not a contagious disease in any way. This means that it does not spread by touching, living together, sharing food or through the air. Cancer occurs when changes occur in the DNA of body cells, causing them to grow uncontrollably. This process occurs inside the body and has nothing to do with contact with another person. This is the reason why cancer is not considered a contagious disease like flu or other infections.
Why is cancer linked to AIDS?
AIDS, or HIV, is not directly cancer, but it weakens the body’s immune system. When the body’s immune system becomes weak, it cannot fight abnormal cells effectively. Therefore, children with HIV or AIDS have an increased risk of developing certain cancers, the most common of which is non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It is also called AIDS-related lymphoma. This cancer begins in the white blood cells of the lymphatic system.
How does AIDS-related lymphoma occur in children?
This disease is usually seen in children who are infected with HIV at birth or during breastfeeding and do not receive antiviral medication on time. The HIV virus attacks the body’s immune system, which significantly increases the risk of infection and cancer. Children with HIV may develop fast-growing cancer in their lymph nodes, brain, spinal cord, or other parts of the body.
What do experts recommend?
Experts say that it is very important to remove the misconceptions spread in the society about cancer. Keeping distance from cancer patients is not only wrong, but it also has a negative impact on their mental health. In case of children, if there is a risk of HIV or any other serious disease, timely testing and proper treatment is very important.
