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JPM over 1 year ago

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Hi All ..I’ve just one question to ask ..I’ve been reading some posts and some have been told they’re cancer free straight after their treatment pathway ends ..At the end of treatment appointment my husband’s oncologist told him although he was now classed as low risk for a reoccurrence it would be five years before he could be 100% sure my husband is cancer free and the curative intent process has been successful …. He said the only way of knowing is obviously if he doesn’t have a reoccurrence within the next five years ..I’m just wondering why some oncologists commit to telling someone they’re cancer free before the five years is over and some still err on the side of caution?

GeoFerret over 1 year ago

Can't answer that, but a good question.

Old Grey Whistler over 1 year ago

Difference between remission and cure.

Took this from a UK.gov website, hope it helps.

Remission means that the signs and symptoms of your cancer are reduced. Remission can be partial or complete. In a complete remission, all signs and symptoms of cancer have disappeared.

If you remain in complete remission for 5 years or more, some doctors may say that you are cured. Still, some cancer cells can remain in your body for many years after treatment. These cells may cause the cancer to come back one day. For cancers that return, most do so within the first 5 years after treatment. But, there is a chance that cancer will come back later. For this reason, doctors cannot say for sure that you are cured. The most they can say is that there are no signs of cancer at this time.

Because of the chance that cancer can come back, your doctor will monitor you for many years and do tests to look for signs of cancer’s return. They will also look for signs of late side effects from the cancer treatments you received

JPM over 1 year ago in reply to Old Grey Whistler

Thank you

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