Understanding Remission in Cancer: Types, Durability, and Recurrence

Remission is a term used to describe a state of reduced or absent symptoms in a disease or condition. In the context of cancer, remission means that the cancer has responded well to treatment and there are no signs of the cancer growing or spreading.
There are different types of remission, including:
Complete remission (CR): This means that all signs and symptoms of the cancer have disappeared, and there is no evidence of the cancer on medical imaging or laboratory tests.
Partial remission (PR): This means that the cancer has shrunk, but there are still some signs and symptoms present.
Stable disease (SD): This means that the cancer has not grown or shrunk, but remains stable.
No evidence of disease (NED): This means that there is no evidence of the cancer on medical imaging or laboratory tests, even though the patient may still experience some symptoms.
Remission can be temporary or permanent. In some cases, cancer can go into remission and then come back later, a process known as recurrence. In other cases, remission can be permanent, meaning that the cancer will never come back.
It's important to note that remission does not mean that the patient is cured, but rather that the cancer is under control. Patients in remission may still need ongoing treatment to prevent the cancer from coming back.