I recently heard that people who have had cancer should not donate blood. I suppose there is a danger of a metasticized cancer having cells in the blood, and infecting the recipient of the blood. It made me wonder if any cancers of the genital organs, such as testicular cancer could be transferred to a sexual partner.
Are you sure that you heard that people with cancer shouldn’t donte blood because it’s bad for the recipient?
People with all kinds of health problems can’t donate blood because it’s bad for their OWN health.
People receiving treatment for cancer are likely to have chemicals in their systems, and likely to be anemic as well. I’m sure there are really good reasons for them not to donate blood, without concern that they might pass their cancer on.
–Rowan
Shopping is still cheaper than therapy. --my Aunt Franny
Cancer is problematic largely because it’s the cells of your own body that are out of control; your immune system doesn’t attack your own cells, for obvious reasons.
If you somehow had blood to blood contact during sex with a cancerous person, and a metastatic cell was transferred, your immune system would attack and kill it before it had a chance to become invasive and grow into a tumor. See, it’s not one of your own cells.
An interesting extension, though: is there any record of “cancer transfer” to someone on immunosuppressants?
I give blood regularly, and I have never been asked if I have cancer. The Red Cross does ask what medications you have taken recently and whether you are under the care of a doctor for any reason. They are intrested in finding out what chemicals may be in your blood, not whether or not you have cancer.
The overwhelming majority of people have more than the average (mean) number of legs. – E. Grebenik
Like Rowan, I suspect that this advice is largely for the benefit of the cancer patient. Also, any chemotherapy drugs would wind up in the donated blood. I knew someone who had cancer, and believe me, you don’t want those drugs in healthy people. They are VICIOUS!
“I had a feeling that in Hell there would be mushrooms.” -The Secret of Monkey Island
The subject of the OP said “sexual transmission of cancer,” so I’m going to risk posting off topic, and possibly sharing what everyone know already and preach to the choir, but the human papillomavirus that causes genital warts can also cause cervical cancer. Men, I guess, don’t get any kind of cancer from the virus, just warts, but when they transmit the virus to a woman, they are putting her at risk for cancer. So this is one form of cancer that could be said to be sexually transmitted.
“I hope life isn’t a big joke, because I don’t get it,” Jack Handy