Is liver cancer contagious?

Generally speaking, liver cancer itself is not contagious, but some of the causes leading to liver cancer are infectious. The specific analysis is as follows:

Liver cancer is a tumor formed by abnormal proliferation of liver cells and is not an infectious disease caused by pathogens. Cancer cells exist only within the patient's body and will not spread to others through contact, air, blood, or other routes. Even if a healthy person shares eating utensils or has close contact with a liver cancer patient, he or she will not develop liver cancer as a result.

However, some causes of liver cancer are contagious. For example, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) can be transmitted through blood, mother-to-child transmission, and sexual contact. Long-term infection with these viruses can easily lead to chronic hepatitis, which may progress to cirrhosis and eventually liver cancer. Additionally, liver cancer caused by Helicobacter pylori infection, or liver cancer triggered by consuming food contaminated with aflatoxins—these risk factors may spread through shared eating utensils or saliva, while aflatoxins spread via food contamination.

Although liver cancer itself is not contagious, the transmission of infectious causative factors still warrants vigilance. To prevent liver cancer, one should avoid sharing needles, razors, or other personal items with individuals infected with HBV or HCV; ensure proper disinfection of eating utensils; receive hepatitis B vaccination and undergo regular physical examinations and viral screenings. Additionally, attention should be paid to food hygiene, avoiding consumption of moldy or spoiled food to reduce the risk of infection.