Question 1

i want to know what is the difference between being cancer-free and being in remission?

Accepted Answer

Synonyms: These terms are used interchangeably when you have finished cancer treatments and have no medically detectable evidence of cancer.

Question 2

what's the difference between being cancer-free and in remission?

Accepted Answer

They're the same: Different doctors use different terms to mean different things, but if you are cancer-free you are in remission.  If there is little to no chance your cancer will come back, you might be considered "cured". Ask your oncologist what he or she means when using these terms!

Question 3

which test does one have to take to know if a person is on remission or cancer free?

Accepted Answer

DEPENDS: Certainly, there are variable ways to check for recurrence, depending on the type of cancer for which you were treated. Your doctor and/or oncologist should be able to help with your question. Give them a call. Good luck.

Question 4

how long after being in remission with leukemia are you be considered cancer free?

Accepted Answer

Difficult question: Part of this depends on the type of leukemia: acute or chronic. The standard thought is 5 years for acute leukemia. However, the risk of relapse is significantly high in the first 2 years, so every year after this reduces the risk of recurrence significantly if you are followed closely by your oncologist.

Question 5

help please? what is the difference between cancer going into remission and it no longer existing?

Accepted Answer

Can be tricky: A cancer is in complete remission when it&#x27;s not detectable by physical exam, labs, or scans. In some cases, the cancer is gone for good (cured). In other cases, it&#x27;s still present in microscopic form and thus undetectable. Those are the ones that &quot;come back&quot; months or years later. They don&#x27;t come back, they were never gone. Only time can sometimes help tell one from the other.

Question 6

what are the chances of a woman diagnose ovary cancer stage 1 to survive cancer free ?

Accepted Answer

About 90%: With proper treatment five year survival is about 90%. See this site for more information.
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/ovariancancer/detailedguide/ovarian-cancer-survival-rates

Question 7

if you are told your cancer free and have taken chemo pills why would you need radiation

Accepted Answer

Past experience: "cancer-free" is a poor choice of words when you are still receiving therapy. We never know when the last cancer cell is gone. A better term would be "no evidence of cancer". With many cancers, we know from experience that without radiation the risk of cancer returning is higher, even when there is no evidence of cancer after chemo. Hence the recommendation for radiation.

Question 8

if ca19-9 within normal levels or negative, are you cancer free? is there a test to show that you are in the %  group that can't produce the antigen?

Accepted Answer

Misconception: Only a handful of cancers produce ca19-9, and even then it's won't be detectable at a significant level unless there's enough mass of the cancer to produce it. This is not a screening test. If levels drop to undetectable after surgery, it's no guarantee of a cure. It's most useful to follow and watch for recurrences of a known ca19-9 producing cancer.

Question 9

what does a cancer free pet scan show? when a pet scan shows that a person is cancer free, does that really mean they're done with cancer? is it cured? are there any general statistics for a person who had cancer, but a pet scan later showed that the canc

Accepted Answer

PET : Pet scans are used for diagnosis, staging, and restaging of certain kinds of cancers such as lung, colorectal, esophageal, and head and neck cancers, and for monitoring response to therapy in breast cancer. Different kinds of cancers behave differently, and there is no guarantee that a given cancer is completely "cured, " even following complete remission. In general, evidence of a complete remission on a pet scan is a very favorable prognostic sign, and indicates that treatment was successful. Followup pet scans are still performed at regular intervals, often for the patient's lifetime, in order to monitor for any possible recurrence that might require new treatment. In general, if follow-up pet scans continue to show no evidence of disease over a period of many years, the likelihood of recurrence is low.

Question 10

i've been diagnosed cancer-free..how accurate is that ?

Accepted Answer

Great News!: Are you speaking in general terms following screening tests (mammography, colonoscopy, psa) or have you been treated for a cancer that is now gone? If you are asking about the latter, it really depends upon the type of cancer you had, the stage, and the sensitivity of the tests we have to detect cancer. It's always a challenge living w/this uncertainty--your oncologist can help you a great deal.

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Doctor answers about:

Is there a difference between being cancer free and being in remission

A member asked:

I want to know what is the difference between being cancer-free and being in remission?

A member asked:

What's the difference between being cancer-free and in remission?

A member asked:

Which test does one have to take to know if a person is on remission or cancer free?

A member asked:

How long after being in remission with leukemia are you be considered cancer free?

A member asked:

Help please? what is the difference between cancer going into remission and it no longer existing?

A member asked:

What are the chances of a woman diagnose ovary cancer stage 1 to survive cancer free ?

A member asked:

If you are told your cancer free and have taken chemo pills why would you need radiation

A member asked:

If ca19-9 within normal levels or negative, are you cancer free? is there a test to show that you are in the % group that can't produce the antigen?

A member asked:

What does a cancer free pet scan show? when a pet scan shows that a person is cancer free, does that really mean they're done with cancer? is it cured? are there any general statistics for a person who had cancer, but a pet scan later showed that the canc

A member asked:

I've been diagnosed cancer-free..how accurate is that ?

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