Remission

Stardust1

NSLC at stage IV, I heard that it can't go into remission, please let me know , my sister is taking chemo clinical trial.

cabbott

I have been told that stage 4 cancer can't be cured, but that doesn't mean it can't be treated or that you can't go into remission. Remission means that the beast seems to be gone. It means the tumors have disappeared and aren't bothering you anymore. I have seen the term "NED" which means "No Evidence of Disease" used more often around here. The reason they don't say "cured" is because cancer is a genetic disease characterized by the ability to invade nearby tissues, grow without control, and break off and set up camp elsewhere in the body. Once the cancer cells have progressed to the point where they can set up elsewhere (make mets), they may do it again. Chemo can still be effective in putting you back in "NED". I have met survivors that have gone through chemo as many as 5 times over more than 20 years. Each time they were put into remission by the chemo. Each time they got to "NED". Making the tumor(s) dormant, that is, no sign of growth, making them shrink (partial remission), or making them go away altogether (complete remission) are all good outcomes of chemo. If the doctor says that you are in remission, that's good news. If you are lucky, cancer becomes something like a chronic disease that you have controlled so that life is still pretty normal and the disease is not the center of your life.

Stardust1

cabbott said:

I have been told that stage 4 cancer can't be cured, but that doesn't mean it can't be treated or that you can't go into remission. Remission means that the beast seems to be gone. It means the tumors have disappeared and aren't bothering you anymore. I have seen the term "NED" which means "No Evidence of Disease" used more often around here. The reason they don't say "cured" is because cancer is a genetic disease characterized by the ability to invade nearby tissues, grow without control, and break off and set up camp elsewhere in the body. Once the cancer cells have progressed to the point where they can set up elsewhere (make mets), they may do it again. Chemo can still be effective in putting you back in "NED". I have met survivors that have gone through chemo as many as 5 times over more than 20 years. Each time they were put into remission by the chemo. Each time they got to "NED". Making the tumor(s) dormant, that is, no sign of growth, making them shrink (partial remission), or making them go away altogether (complete remission) are all good outcomes of chemo. If the doctor says that you are in remission, that's good news. If you are lucky, cancer becomes something like a chronic disease that you have controlled so that life is still pretty normal and the disease is not the center of your life.

So you are saying it's like Diabetes controlled. Is their a chance, or do you know someone in stage IV NSLC taking clinical trial chemo that are doing ok. My sister seems better since the 2nd chemo,it took about 7 hrs to put all the bags in her port. It just looks so good now and how she is feeling,evem though she is stage IV. I guess time will tell,when she goes for one more chemo,and get tested again. Thank you again cabbott.

cabbott

Stardust1 said:

So you are saying it's like Diabetes controlled. Is their a chance, or do you know someone in stage IV NSLC taking clinical trial chemo that are doing ok. My sister seems better since the 2nd chemo,it took about 7 hrs to put all the bags in her port. It just looks so good now and how she is feeling,evem though she is stage IV. I guess time will tell,when she goes for one more chemo,and get tested again. Thank you again cabbott.

I hope it will be something like a controllable though chronic disease. None of us get a choice on what kind of cancer we get. It's a lottery ticket nobody asks for. We don't get a choice about getting cancer or about what kind of cancer we get. Not to be depressing, but some of us do everything right-go to the best doctors out there, take the best recommended treatment available, and do everything by the book--yet still find out that our cancer doesn't respond. Others do the same thing and their cancer goes into remission. It reminds me of backgammon. Part of the game is skill and part of it is luck. The skill part still counts though, so never give up hope that your sister will win. As part of a clinical tril she will either get the standard treatment that is the best proven kind for her cancer or she will be in the arm getting a treatment that might prove even better. If her cancer does not respond, they will probably switch to something else. Clinical trials not only help the participant, they also provide valuable data to doctors and researchers that will save lives in the future. Please thank your sister for participating. I'm blackballed from trials because I have two kinds of cancer, but I wish I could. Trials give both participants and survivors in the future more of a chance.

Stardust1

cabbott said:

I hope it will be something like a controllable though chronic disease. None of us get a choice on what kind of cancer we get. It's a lottery ticket nobody asks for. We don't get a choice about getting cancer or about what kind of cancer we get. Not to be depressing, but some of us do everything right-go to the best doctors out there, take the best recommended treatment available, and do everything by the book--yet still find out that our cancer doesn't respond. Others do the same thing and their cancer goes into remission. It reminds me of backgammon. Part of the game is skill and part of it is luck. The skill part still counts though, so never give up hope that your sister will win. As part of a clinical tril she will either get the standard treatment that is the best proven kind for her cancer or she will be in the arm getting a treatment that might prove even better. If her cancer does not respond, they will probably switch to something else. Clinical trials not only help the participant, they also provide valuable data to doctors and researchers that will save lives in the future. Please thank your sister for participating. I'm blackballed from trials because I have two kinds of cancer, but I wish I could. Trials give both participants and survivors in the future more of a chance.

Thank you for kindness,so far it's been four days she had chemo, only side effect tired. Thank God, as she had a rough time on the first chemo. I would like to say I am praying for everyone, and glad you are doing ok. Thinking of all my dear friends on this site. Again thanks for the reply back and being here for everyone.

conijo

Stardust1 said:

Thank you for kindness,so far it's been four days she had chemo, only side effect tired. Thank God, as she had a rough time on the first chemo. I would like to say I am praying for everyone, and glad you are doing ok. Thinking of all my dear friends on this site. Again thanks for the reply back and being here for everyone.

Yes a person CAN go into remission with stage 4..My mother in law went into remission for 12 years! and I'm praying my hubby will do the same.

spencer2008

conijo said:

Yes a person CAN go into remission with stage 4..My mother in law went into remission for 12 years! and I'm praying my hubby will do the same.

I hope your husband gets remission also. In Feb. 2008, I had the lower lobe of my left lung removed due to NSCLC adenocarcinoma. After chemo, I got almost 5 years remission before getting nsclc with lymph node mets. They tell me I'm stage 4 and now, after 8 months radiation and chemo they tell me nothing shows on pet/ct scans and, that I can consider myself in remission again. I had 30 radiation tx's and 18 chemo tx's (Gemzar). I tolerated everything well and feel very good, considering everything.  YES, remission is possible and I wish it for you all.    BLF