Whats the difference between “remission” and “cure”?
Oncologists like to use the word “remission” when there is no definite evidence of cancer present. Remission implies an absence of new symptoms, and best describes a patient who has completed treatment and has “stable” follow up MRI scans. Remission can last for several months or years but some patients never achieve remission: there is no period of time that their MRI or their symptoms are improving or stable. Cure, to most people, means that there will never be a relapse of the same tumor. Statistics for most cancers are presented as the percentage of patients with the disease alive five years after diagnosis. With many cancers, a survival of five years is considered very good, at least to the oncologist. “Incurable” is an ominous term, yet applies to hundreds of medical illnesses, including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, and heart disease. It is important to remember that “incurable” does not mean “untreatable”. Should I pursue alternative therapy? “Alternative therap
