Treatment FAQ

what is the definition of a complete response in treatment

by Miss Reta Cartwright MD Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Complete response (CR) to treatment is a term for the absence of all detectable cancer after your treatment is completed. A complete response does not necessarily mean you are cured, but it is the best result that can be reported. This means that the cancerous tumor is now gone and there is no evidence of disease.

Listen to pronunciation. (kum-PLEET reh-SPONTS) The disappearance of all signs of cancer in response to treatment. This does not always mean the cancer has been cured.

Full Answer

What is a complete response?

In cancer care, the eradication by treatment of all of a readily identifiable tumor. A complete response differs from a cure in that microscopic amounts of tumor the may remain in the patient and later produce a relapse. Want to thank TFD for its existence?

What is a complete response to cancer treatment?

The term used for the absence of all detectable cancer after your treatment is complete response (CR). Complete response doesn't necessarily mean that you are cured, but it is the best result that can be reported.

What is pathologic complete response?

It is often referred to in the case of breast cancer. Pre-surgical treatment is assessed for pathologic complete response by examining the breast tissue removed in surgery. If no cancer is found in the tissue, the patient is said to have pathological complete response.

What is the difference between a complete response and a cure?

A complete response differs from a cure in that microscopic amounts of tumor the may remain in the patient and later produce a relapse. Want to thank TFD for its existence?

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What does complete response to treatment mean?

Complete response to treatment (CR) is the term used for the absence of all detectable cancer after your treatment is complete. Complete response doesn't necessarily mean that you are cured, but it is the best result that can be reported. It means the cancerous tumor is now gone and there is no evidence of disease.

What is the difference between complete response and complete remission?

When a treatment completely gets rid of all tumors that could be measured or seen on a test, it's called a complete response or complete remission. A partial response or partial remission means the cancer partly responded to treatment, but still did not go away.

What is complete and partial response?

A partial response is a decrease in the size of a tumor or in the amount of cancer in the body, and a complete response is the disappearance of all signs of cancer in the body. In a clinical trial, measuring the overall response rate is one way to see how well a new treatment works. Also called ORR.

What is complete treatment?

phrase. If you say that someone is given the full treatment, you mean either that they are treated extremely well or that they are treated extremely severely. [informal] Make their stay really special by giving them the full treatment.

What Is a Complete Response Letter FDA?

A complete response letter reflects FDA's complete review of the data submitted in an original application or abbreviated application (or, where appropriate, a resubmission) and any amendments that the agency has reviewed.

What does partial response mean?

Listen to pronunciation. (PAR-shul reh-SPONTS) A decrease in the size of a tumor, or in the extent of cancer in the body, in response to treatment. Also called partial remission.

How is complete response measured?

A complete response is the disappearance of all target lesions, and a partial response (PR) is defined as at least a 30% decrease in the sum of the target lesions. Stable disease is defined as fitting the criteria neither for progressive disease nor a PR.

What is complete remission?

Listen to pronunciation. (kum-PLEET reh-MIH-shun) The disappearance of all signs of cancer in response to treatment. This does not always mean the cancer has been cured.

What does response rate mean in medical terms?

Listen to pronunciation. (reh-SPONTS...) The percentage of patients whose cancer shrinks or disappears after treatment.

Why is it important to complete treatment?

For example, treatments for chronic illnesses focus on reducing symptoms and preventing or delaying complications. If you stop treatment, these may occur more quickly, which could have a major impact not only on your quality of life, but also on your life expectancy.

Is there a difference between remission and complete remission?

Remission means that the signs and symptoms of your cancer are reduced. Remission can be partial or complete. In a complete remission, all signs and symptoms of cancer have disappeared. If you remain in complete remission for 5 years or more, some doctors may say that you are cured.

Why is it so important to complete a course of medical treatment?

It's important to take the medication as prescribed by your doctor, even if you are feeling better. If treatment stops too soon, and you become sick again, the remaining bacteria may become resistant to the antibiotic that you've taken.

Assess complete response to treatment

When you are diagnosed with cancer, you will be assigned a course of treatment. This can be chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, stem cell transplantation, and any new therapy that has not yet been developed. After the treatment is complete, after a period of time for maximum effect, the tumor shrinks or the malignant cells die.

Does this mean you are healed?

Complete remission (CR) does not mean cure. Some people in complete remission may experience tumor recurrence later. But it’s definitely a good thing to have a complete response- This is the best starting point for healing.

pathological complete remission

When you see complete remissions reported in clinical trials and other studies, those studies may use another term called pathological complete remission.

Complete response - definition?

Does anyone know what the clinical definition for Complete Response, Stringent Complete Response etc are? I am a little confused after visiting my oncologist yesterday. I had a stem cell transplant in early June of this year. it went very well and I had minimal problems. Prior to the transplant I had responded very well to Velcade + dex.

Re: Complete response - definition?

Disappearance of M-protein in the blood, less than 5 percent of plasma cells in the bone marrow, and no increase in size and number of bone lesions.

Re: Complete Response Definition

Hi, it sounds pretty promising to me! I would say to you happy times for a while, rest easier for a while and take good care of yourself.

Re: Complete response - definition?

Like Mike, I believe a handle on terminology is important to understanding multiple myeloma. Both the NIH and NCCN response criteria remain a little confusing to me as a lay person. Perhaps someone can help clarify the following questions:

What is a durable response to cancer treatment?

There is not a standardized definition, but it usually refers to a response to treatment that is much longer than expected for a metastatic (stage 4) solid tumor (such as lung cancer, breast cancer, etc.)

What is the difference between a durable response and a remission?

Many people wonder what the difference is between a durable response and remission. Remission can be either complete (no evidence of tumor) or partial (a 30% or greater decrease in size of a tumor). The cancer does not have to be completely gone to qualify as a durable response.

What is durable response?

1 Most often it refers to a prolonged response to therapy for a metastatic (stage 4) solid tumor that is beyond the type of response ordinarily seen with any treatment.

How does the immune system work?

The problem arises when cancer cells either secrete substances or alter normal cells in their surroundings such that they can "hide." Checkpoint inhibitors work, simplistically, by taking the "mask" off of cancer cells so that the immune system can recognize and then attack them. Since the immune system can (albeit in the minority of patients) better recognize cancer cells after treatment, it makes sense that it would continue to work even after the medications are discontinued. In fact, the rare occurrence of the spontaneous remission of cancer is thought to work in this way.

Can a tumor grow back after stopping treatment?

Most often, if medications such as targeted therapies are stopped, a cancer begins to grow again, even if it appeared to be in complete remission. In contrast, it's now not uncommon for an advanced solid tumor to stay in remission after checkpoint inhibitors are stopped.

Do checkpoint inhibitors cause durable responses?

For example, a 2019 study looking at people with lung cancer found that durable responses were more frequent in people treated with checkpoint inhibitors, but also occurred in people treated with some other classes of drugs (eg. chemotherapy drugs, targeted therapies). 2 .

Why is it important to stay informed about clinical trials?

It is important for patients to stay informed and understand the latest discoveries, including results from clinical trials , to have productive conversations with their doctors, and ensure that they know the right questions to ask throughout their journey.

What is the endpoint of a cancer drug?

Progression-Free Survival (PFS) Another important endpoint for measuring the effectiveness of cancer drugs is progression-free survival, or PFS – how long a person lives without the disease worsening. PFS results are typically available earlier in a trial than OS data.

What is the latest breakthrough in cancer research?

The latest discoveries have resulted in cutting-edge therapies that treat cancer in more sophisticated ways than conventional treatments like chemotherapy. Innovative treatments that target specific mutations harbored by cancer cells or help activate the body’s immune system to fight cancer are giving patients new options and improved outcomes.

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Assessing Complete Response to Treatment

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When you are diagnosed with cancer, you will be assigned to a course of treatment. This can be chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, stem cell transplant, and any new therapies yet to be developed. After treatment completion, a period of time is allowed to go by so the maximum effect is achieved, with the tumor shrinking or t…
See more on verywellhealth.com

Does It Mean You're Cured?

  • Complete response (CR) does not imply cure.1 Some people with a complete response may have a tumor recurrence later. But it definitely is a good thing to have a complete response— it is the best starting point for a cure. For some types of cancers, seeing a complete response is a good indication of a cure. For other cancers, the rate of cure is lower after seeing a complete respons…
See more on verywellhealth.com

Pathologic Complete Response

  • When you see complete response reported for clinical trials and other research, the studies may use another term called pathologic complete response. Pathologic complete response refers to a situation in which some form of therapy is given prior to surgery for cancer (such as chemotherapy, radiation, etc), and then once the patient undergoes surger...
See more on verywellhealth.com

Assess Complete Response to Treatment

  • When you are diagnosed with cancer, you will be assigned a course of treatment. This can be chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, stem cell transplantation, and any new therapy that has not yet been developed. After the treatment is complete, after a period of time for maximum effect, the tumor shrinks or the malignant cells die. At the e...
See more on vigortip.com

Does This Mean You Are Healed?

  • Complete remission (CR) does not mean cure. Some people in complete remission may experience tumor recurrence later. But it’s definitely a good thing to have a complete response- This is the best starting point for healing. For some types of cancer, seeing a complete response is a good sign of cure. For other cancers, cure rates are lower after seeing a complete response…
See more on vigortip.com

Pathological Complete Remission

  • When you see complete remissions reported in clinical trials and other studies, those studies may use another term called pathological complete remission. Pathological complete remission is when some form of treatment (such as chemotherapy, radiation, etc.) is given before cancer surgery, and then once the patient undergoes surgery, the removed tissue that has previously be…
See more on vigortip.com

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