◘ Are We Cured Of Cancer Or Are We In Remission? ◘

Noel
Noel Member Posts: 3,095 Member
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
My oncologist says I am cured of cancer. But, I have read where others say that we are in remission. Which are we? I always thought that being in remission meant that you still had cancer in you, but, it was more or less asleep, not active at the time. What do you think? And, what does your oncologist say about you?


♥ Noel

Comments

  • rjjj
    rjjj Member Posts: 1,822 Member
    #2
    Hi Noel
    Mine just says I am clear or No evidence of desease. Although I still pray for a cure every day.
    hugs, jackie
  • ninjamom
    ninjamom Member Posts: 142
    #3
    Mine told me I was cancer
    Mine told me I was cancer free and to start living again. I think that as long as you don't show signs of cancer it does not matter if you are in remission, cancer free or cured. No signs of cancer is good no matter what we call it. I know that we worry about recurrence (at least I do, all the time specially around check up time) but I'm slowly learning to enjoy life again and I'm fighting back by trying not to think about recurrence too much.
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #4
    ninjamom said:

    Mine told me I was cancer
    Mine told me I was cancer free and to start living again. I think that as long as you don't show signs of cancer it does not matter if you are in remission, cancer free or cured. No signs of cancer is good no matter what we call it. I know that we worry about recurrence (at least I do, all the time specially around check up time) but I'm slowly learning to enjoy life again and I'm fighting back by trying not to think about recurrence too much.

    Remisson means NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE present, at the present time....meaning the bc you had is gone, now.....
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    #5
    MAJW said:

    Remisson means NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE present, at the present time....meaning the bc you had is gone, now.....

    One explanation
    This is one explanation of what remisssion means in reference to cancer:

    Remission
    If a cancer is in remission, there is no sign of it in examinations or tests. Doctors say 'remission' instead of cure because they cannot always be sure that all cancer cells are gone and the cancer won't come back. Generally, the longer the remission, the less likely this is.

    I, personally, prefer the word Cure! And, that is what my oncologist said about me. CURED!

    HUGS to ALL!
  • e_hope
    e_hope Member Posts: 370
    #6
    Read the post... mets after 22 years.. and then formulate your own opinion.. My feelings remission.. NED... cause cancer is sneaky.. and can pop back up at anytime...

    Although I hope I never see it again
  • tgf
    tgf Member Posts: 950 Member
    #7
    e_hope said:

    Read the post... mets after 22 years.. and then formulate your own opinion.. My feelings remission.. NED... cause cancer is sneaky.. and can pop back up at anytime...

    Although I hope I never see it again

    My oncologist uses the word remission instead of cured. I have no problem with that. As long as my mammograms and other tests come back showing no evidence of disease ... that's good enough for me. I'm just glad to be here and take it one day at a time.

    hugs.
    teena
  • Marcia527
    Marcia527 Member Posts: 2,729
    #8
    I had to ask my oncologist
    I had to ask my oncologist what he would call me and he said in remission. That's ok, it's just a term.
  • RE
    RE Member Posts: 4,591 Member
    #9
    Hi Noel, it is my understanding that we are in remission. My doctor has explained it to me that the farther away from the orig. dx date that I get the greater my odd of it not returning. Since mine spread to my lymph nodes it is in my system and can return at anytime, it may be different if it does not reach the lymphatic system.

    I choose to live my life with joy and to the fullest as if I am cured. It does me no good to worry daily about it. I do like most of us worry when I feel something is off or a new pain appears and that is okay because it keeps us aware and on our toes so that this illness does not sneak up on us again.

    If you are NED REJOICE!! It is a great thing to be and you should get out there and start enjoying yourself because you most certainly have earned it. NED is good enough for me!

    Many Hugs,

    RE
  • roseann4
    roseann4 Member Posts: 992 Member
    #10
    RE said:

    Hi Noel, it is my understanding that we are in remission. My doctor has explained it to me that the farther away from the orig. dx date that I get the greater my odd of it not returning. Since mine spread to my lymph nodes it is in my system and can return at anytime, it may be different if it does not reach the lymphatic system.

    I choose to live my life with joy and to the fullest as if I am cured. It does me no good to worry daily about it. I do like most of us worry when I feel something is off or a new pain appears and that is okay because it keeps us aware and on our toes so that this illness does not sneak up on us again.

    If you are NED REJOICE!! It is a great thing to be and you should get out there and start enjoying yourself because you most certainly have earned it. NED is good enough for me!

    Many Hugs,

    RE

    I agree with Re...
    My mom used to say, "You can't solve a problem you don't have yet". Today it looks like I'm cancer free and I'll stick with that.

    Roseann
  • mimivac
    mimivac Member Posts: 2,143 Member
    #11
    I think it is a matter of semantics
    The hard truth is that it is very difficult to impossible for a doctor to tell you that you are cured and that the cancer will never come back. That's true from Stage 0 to 4. Just like a doctor could never tell someone without cancer that they will never get it. These things are too unpredictable. What we do know is that early stage breast cancer has an excellent survival rate, and that's really what we have to go with. We can't sit around wondering when the s**t will hit the fan again, because that's no way to live. Living with uncertainty is part of it.

    Mimi
  • Kristin N
    Kristin N Member Posts: 1,968 Member
    #12
    mimivac said:

    I think it is a matter of semantics
    The hard truth is that it is very difficult to impossible for a doctor to tell you that you are cured and that the cancer will never come back. That's true from Stage 0 to 4. Just like a doctor could never tell someone without cancer that they will never get it. These things are too unpredictable. What we do know is that early stage breast cancer has an excellent survival rate, and that's really what we have to go with. We can't sit around wondering when the s**t will hit the fan again, because that's no way to live. Living with uncertainty is part of it.

    Mimi

    I agree
    As long as it means that I am NED, then anyone can use any word that they want. However, when my oncologist wrote up his report on me and gave me a copy, he wrote the actual word CURE on it when talking of the ultimate goal after my treatments were finished. And, he always told us that CURE was his goal for me.

    Kristin ♥
  • outdoorgirl
    outdoorgirl Member Posts: 1,565
    #13
    Guess for me I've
    never really gotten a straight answer.And I would like to have one just because I want to know.My lymph nodes weren't affected. But I asked one of my chemo nurses one time about it and she said that unfortunately I could never use the term cancer free because there was a chance it could return. But I like the others am happy with both the times I've gone in for mammos and it's been NED-so far..One of these days I'm going to ask my onc and see what he says.
  • Alexis F
    Alexis F Member Posts: 3,598
    #14
    outdoorgirl said:

    Guess for me I've
    never really gotten a straight answer.And I would like to have one just because I want to know.My lymph nodes weren't affected. But I asked one of my chemo nurses one time about it and she said that unfortunately I could never use the term cancer free because there was a chance it could return. But I like the others am happy with both the times I've gone in for mammos and it's been NED-so far..One of these days I'm going to ask my onc and see what he says.

    Cure
    My oncologist, right from the start, said that Cure was what we were working towards. And, I will certainly accept that word. I think that any and all of us realize that bc can always come back, but, we can also die or get something else horrible, like have a stroke, or a heart attack or some other horrible disease. So, for now, I consider myself cured and plan on living a great, wonderful and long life!

    Lex♥
  • meena1
    meena1 Member Posts: 1,003
    #15
    Alexis F said:

    Cure
    My oncologist, right from the start, said that Cure was what we were working towards. And, I will certainly accept that word. I think that any and all of us realize that bc can always come back, but, we can also die or get something else horrible, like have a stroke, or a heart attack or some other horrible disease. So, for now, I consider myself cured and plan on living a great, wonderful and long life!

    Lex♥

    My oncologist told me I am
    My oncologist told me I am in remission. As far as I know, there is no cure for Cancer. My friend, who is also stage 4, and I were just discussing this at lunch.
  • tasha_111
    tasha_111 Member Posts: 2,072
    #16
    meena1 said:

    My oncologist told me I am
    My oncologist told me I am in remission. As far as I know, there is no cure for Cancer. My friend, who is also stage 4, and I were just discussing this at lunch.

    ? I wonder.........
    My Onco has never uttered the words remission, cure or ned......Every visit he examines me then just buggers off.........I have to stop him before he gets through the door........"So am I OK?"... "Yes for now"
    No wonder I am always waiting for the other shoe to drop
    Hugs Jxxxxxxx
  • outdoorgirl
    outdoorgirl Member Posts: 1,565
    #17
    tasha_111 said:

    ? I wonder.........
    My Onco has never uttered the words remission, cure or ned......Every visit he examines me then just buggers off.........I have to stop him before he gets through the door........"So am I OK?"... "Yes for now"
    No wonder I am always waiting for the other shoe to drop
    Hugs Jxxxxxxx

    Yeah Tash,
    he definately sounds like Dr. Charisma Bypass to me-how did you find this guy?lol
  • Eil4186
    Eil4186 Member Posts: 949
    #18
    When I asked my onc if I was
    When I asked my onc if I was cured, he replied "I hope so." He also said that my chances of my bc not returning are very good. Thats all right with me!
  • DianeBC
    DianeBC Member Posts: 3,881 Member
    #19
    Eil4186 said:

    When I asked my onc if I was
    When I asked my onc if I was cured, he replied "I hope so." He also said that my chances of my bc not returning are very good. Thats all right with me!

    My oncologist said I was
    My oncologist said I was cured and so did my rads oncologist. I was given the percentage of a possible return of bc, but, I am just living my life and loving it for now.

    Hugs, Diane ♥

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