Can cancer be transmitted between people?

Common cancers are not infectious. You cannot catch cancer from your friends and family. However, there are some rare cancers that are transmitted by viruses. These are extremely rare and are not commonly transmitted from one person to another.   

Some strains of the human papilloma virus can cause cancer if not properly treated. Only females can get cancer from the papilloma virus.  A strain of the papilloma virus may be transmitted most commonly by vaginal and anal sex, but also by oral sex and genital-to-genital sex, that could eventually cause cancer.