Lewisville, TX – October 23, 2019 – Since cancer is varied with plenty of sophisticated treatment options, a lot of terms are used by physicians when talking about it. There is a thorough description of cancer terms in various dictionaries at cancer institutes. The difference between cancer cure and cancer remission is an area that sparks interest. Doctors rarely use the word cure; instead, they often talk about remission.

“Depending on a patient’s age, doctors may inform them about their odds of dying of cancer,” explained Dr. Dasari. “Your odds of dying from cancer may be lower than those of dying of something else. In such a case, it is not right to say you went into remission or you are cured."

Here is the difference between cure and remission:

• Cancer cure - When doctors speak about cure, it means you have no traces of cancer in your body after receiving treatment. There is no chance that the cancer will come back either. Generally, doctors don’t talk about being cured of cancer, even when the odds of recurrence are too low.

• Cancer remission – Cancer remission means that all the signs and symptoms of your cancer have been minimized. A patient can have partial or complete remission.

Complete cancer remission is when you have no signs or symptoms that may indicate your cancer is present. However, when in remission, doctors will find microscopic collections of cancer cells that may not be detected by current techniques. This will mean that even if you are in remission, your cancer is likely to recur in the future. Cancer recurrence often occurs five years after treatment.

In partial remission, a large percentage of cancer symptoms are gone, but some still linger in the body. The chances of cancer recurrence in partial remission are much higher than in complete remission. Both partial and complete remission cases will require constant monitoring and testing for many years to look for any signs of cancer recurrence and late side effects of treatment.

“When discussing with your doctor about your cancer prognosis, be sure that you understand what they are talking about,” continued Dr. Dasari. “If they talk about cure, confirm if it is really cure or remission. And if it is remission they are referring to, let them confirm whether it is partial or complete remission, and how long it is likely to last. This will give you a clear understanding of your odds of recurrence.”

About Lewisville/Flower Mound Oncology Group

The Lewisville/Flower Mound Oncology Group has state-of-the-art facilities that offer individualized care to patients throughout North Texas. With a team of expert oncologists and other specialists on staff, the Lewisville/Flower Mound Oncology Group treats a variety of cancers and blood disorders with an eye towards the newest advancements available in diagnostic technology and treatments.

Visit them at https://lewisvilleflowermoundoncology.com/cancer-resources/ to know more.