Remission in Cancer

What is remission in cancer?

The term “remission” means that cancer treatment reduced or eliminated the symptoms and signs of cancer. Remission may last for months, years or the rest of your life. Remission may not mean you’re free of cancer (cured), but it’s an important turning point for you and your cancer care team.

What are the different types of remission?

Complete remission

Cancer is considered in complete remission when there isn’t any evidence of cancer on physical exam, blood work or imaging tests.

For example, if you have lung cancer that’s in complete remission, your symptoms will have improved and your computed tomography (CT) scan will show the cancer has disappeared.

Complete remission doesn’t mean cancer is gone forever. Cancer can come back (recur). Even if you have cancer in remission, it’s important you follow up with your cancer team so they can make sure the cancer remains in remission.

Partial remission

Cancer is in partial remission if imaging and blood tests show cancerous tumors are at least 50% smaller than they were before treatment and/or tumor cells don’t appear to be growing. With certain kinds of blood cancer, partial remission means there are fewer cancerous cells in your blood.

You may have heard or read about people who had “spontaneous remission” or cancer that disappeared without traditional medical treatment. Medical researchers have documented cases of spontaneous remission, but it’s extremely rare.

What’s the difference between remission in cancer and being cured of cancer?

Some oncologists — healthcare providers who specialize in treating cancer — consider cancer to be cured if people have no signs or symptoms of cancer for at least five years after finishing treatment.

I have cancer that’s in remission. What happens now?

That depends on the type of cancer you have. In some cases, your oncologist may start maintenance therapy. This ongoing cancer treatment keeps cancer in remission for as long as possible.

You’ll need to see your oncologist regularly, even if you’re receiving maintenance therapy, so they can monitor your overall health and do blood and imaging tests to look for signs of cancer.

This is important. Catching cancer as soon as it comes out of remission means your cancer team can quickly treat the recurring cancer (cancer that’s come back.)

Does cancer always go into remission?

No. Here are some reasons why not all cancer goes into remission:

• In general, early-stage cancer is more likely to go into remission than advanced cancer (metastatic cancer) that’s grown or spread beyond the original tumor.
• There are more than 100 types of cancer, each responding to treatment in different ways. In general, it’s more difficult to obtain and maintain remission for fast-growing (aggressive) cancer.

Can Stage IV cancer go into remission?

That depends on the type of cancer. Thanks to newer cancer treatments, some but not all advanced cancers (Stage IV cancer) may go into partial or complete remission. If you have a form of advanced cancer, ask your oncologist what you can expect.

How long does remission last?

Cancer can remain in remission for months or years. Remission times vary, depending on factors such as cancer type, stage and how the cancer responded to initial treatment.

Why does cancer come back after going into remission?

Cancer may come back (recur) if cancer treatment doesn’t eliminate all cancer cells. Sometimes, cancer cells that are too small to see with the naked eye may start growing and spreading. Other times, cancer may come back because it finds ways to grow despite treatment.

Can recurrent cancer go back into remission?

Yes. In some cases, people go through cycles of remission and recurrence. When cancer comes back, healthcare providers may try the same or different treatments with the goal of putting the cancer back into remission.

What’s it like to live with cancer in remission?

Living with cancer in remission may feel like riding an emotional rollercoaster. You may feel happy and relieved that treatment put cancer in remission, but at the same time, worry cancer will come back.

Here are some suggestions that may help manage living with cancer in remission:

• Ask your oncologist what you can expect. They may not be able to estimate how long cancer will remain in remission, but they can explain what you can expect and how to monitor for potential signs that cancer is coming back.
• Cancer survivorship programs. Cancer is stressful. So is living with cancer in remission. You may feel as if you’re living from checkup to checkup, worrying about what test results will show. If that’s your situation, ask about cancer survivorship programs. These programs focus on helping people understand and manage the challenges of living with cancer.
• Eat a healthy balanced diet. Ask your provider about talking to a nutritionist who can help you create a food plan tailored to your needs.
• Get some exercise. Exercise helps ease stress and build strength and endurance. But be sure to ask your provider before starting an exercise program.
• Develop or continue good lifestyle habits. If you use tobacco products or beverages that contain alcohol, try to stop.
• Share your story. Co-workers, friends and family members may expect you to be “all better” because cancer is in remission. You are better, but you’re not free of cancer, at least not yet. Let people know about your situation. Tell them how they can help you adapt to your new normal.
• Get some rest. Cancer and cancer treatment can take a toll on your body. Make sure that you get enough sleep. Talk to your provider if you’re having trouble sleeping.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

It’s the news you’ve been hoping for and waiting to hear: You’re in remission. Cancer treatment has put the condition into complete or partial remission, which means you don’t have cancer symptoms or signs, or the treatment is keeping cancer from growing. It’s not a cure, at least not yet. But even so, it’s time to celebrate an important turning point in your cancer journey. It’s also time to take stock of your health and get ready for what’s next. Your healthcare providers understand the challenges of living with cancer in remission. They’ll be happy to help you as you navigate living with cancer in remission.