Can liver cancer be transmitted through sharing bowls and chopsticks?

Written by Yan Chun

Oncology

Updated on June 29, 2025

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Clinically, eating with liver cancer patients through shared utensils will not lead to the transmission of liver cancer. This is because the occurrence of liver cancer is due to carcinogenic factors acting on the body over a long period of time, causing abnormal proliferation of cells within the body, thus forming a type of neoplasm. It is fundamentally different from the onset of infectious diseases.

However, many cases of liver cancer are caused by liver cirrhosis, which itself is often a result of infections such as hepatitis B virus. On the basis of cirrhosis, it may eventually develop into liver cancer. Hepatitis B virus is contagious, and sharing meals with infected individuals can easily lead to the transmission of the hepatitis B virus. Once infected with the hepatitis B virus, the patient is likely to develop hepatitis B, which in turn can lead to liver cirrhosis. From there, it may eventually progress to liver cancer.

Therefore, if there is a family member who has live cancer and tests positive for the hepatitis B virus, it is advisable to use separate dining arrangements to avoid the transmission of the hepatitis B virus, which could ultimately lead to liver cancer.

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