Cancer is not catching. Sneezing or touching does not pass it on to other individuals. There are some infections in the form of bacteria or viruses that are not cancer, but they can create the conditions for a cancer to develop. Most commonly this is because they may weaken our bodies ability to destroy cancer cells by affecting the immune system.
If more than one close family member is affected by the same type of cancer, or cancers that are related, e.g. cancer of the ovary and breast cancer. it could be due to inherited genes, also known as a family history of cancer. This does not mean that every member of the family will be affected. Even if a family history exists there may be treatments, and other helps that can significantly reduce the
People of colour do need to use sun creams, and other similar products to protect their skin from harm. It is a myth that people with darker skin tones never get skin cancer. However, it is true that the chances of developing the most common form of skin cancer are much much lower. We must emphasise, it is very uncommon for people with darker skin tones to be diagnosed with the most common skin cancers (Squamous Cell Carcinoma - SCC and Basal Cell Carcinoma- BCC). However, it is not impossible. Exposure to the suns rays can be prolonged as some BME community members experience improved living conditions and better health outcomes. People are generally
Vitiligo is not skin cancer
We are aware via the outreach sessions we deliver, that some of our contacts believed that the two conditions were linked. We aim to replace myths and misinformation with accurate cancer information as follows: