Finishing treatment or hearing that it has worked can bring relief and uncertainty at the same time. Medical terms describe what can be measured now; they do not always predict what will happen in the future.
Remission and response
Partial remission, also called a partial response, means the cancer has decreased according to the criteria being used. Some disease remains.
Complete remission or complete response means the tests and assessment used no longer find the signs of cancer required by those criteria. The details differ between cancers. Very small amounts of disease may remain below the tests’ detection limit. Treatment may continue in some situations even after a complete response. NCI: Cancer Prognosis and American Cancer Society: Can Cancer Be Cured?
No evidence of disease (NED) means the current assessment has not detected cancer. Cancer-free is less precise everyday language; ask what tests and findings the speaker means. Cure usually means the cancer is not expected to return. There is no single time point, including five years, that proves cure for every cancer. Memorial Sloan Kettering: Remission, Recurrence and Cure
Other words you may hear
- Stable disease: the cancer has not changed enough to meet the criteria for a response or progression. Keeping a cancer stable can be a meaningful treatment benefit.
- Progression: the cancer has grown, spread or otherwise worsened according to the assessment criteria.
- Recurrence or relapse: cancer returns after a period in which it was not detectable or had improved. The wording depends on the cancer.
- Refractory disease: cancer that does not respond adequately to treatment.
- Maintenance treatment: ongoing treatment intended to help preserve a response or control the disease.
Some people live for long periods with a cancer that needs continuing or intermittent treatment. The goals and language of care should reflect that person’s situation. American Cancer Society: Cancer as a Chronic Illness
What does DFS mean?
Disease-free survival (DFS) describes time without evidence of the cancer returning after primary treatment. Researchers also report the proportion of people who remain disease-free at a specified time. Studies differ in when the clock starts and which events count; many count recurrence or death, and some also count particular new cancers. NCI: Disease-Free Survival and FDA: Cancer Trial Endpoints
Progression-free survival (PFS) measures time without the cancer getting worse; in trials, it generally ends at progression or death. People may still have detectable cancer during PFS. Overall survival (OS) measures time alive, regardless of the cause of any eventual death. DFS, PFS and OS answer different questions and should not be treated as interchangeable. NCI: Progression-Free Survival and NCI: Cancer Prognosis
A five-year statistic describes a study group’s experience over five years. It does not mean a person is expected to live only five years, and it cannot tell exactly what will happen to one individual.
Keep a clear follow-up plan
Follow-up can check for recurrence, manage lasting or delayed treatment effects and support physical and emotional recovery. The schedule and tests depend on the original cancer and treatment. Ask which symptoms to report, who coordinates your care and whether any medicines should continue. Bring up fatigue, sexual health, fertility, mood and fear of recurrence if they affect you. NCI: Follow-Up Care
A useful question is: “What does this term mean in my case, and what is our plan from here?”
This article is for general education. It does not diagnose a condition or replace advice from your healthcare team. Your symptoms, examination and test results need to be considered together.
#EYI #CancerSurvivorship #Remission #FollowUpCare #HealthLiteracy
