when are you considered cancer free after treatment

We really only know that someone is “cancer-free” when several years have passed after treatment and she is considered cured. The situation becomes muddled because some people use the term “cancer-free” to mean “complete remission,” meaning that the scans do not show any spots of cancer after treatment.

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How long does it take to be cancer-free?

when are you considered cancer free. disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583. April 2012 in Breast Cancer #1. ... but in my opinion nobody is ever "cancer free" remission or NED yes but never guaranteed the beast is completely gone. ... I am a little over 1yr post treatment for Anal cancer and the day they said NED on that is the day they diagnosed ...

Does cancer go away with treatment?

Jan 23, 2018 · For some types of cancer, five years is enough time. For others, it is longer. Cancer-Free What about being “cancer-free”? This can be a confusing term that is used loosely. We really only know that someone is “cancer-free” when several years have passed after treatment and she is considered cured.

What does “cancer-free” really mean?

Jul 10, 2015 · A recent review by Mark Clemons, MD, in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that 86% of over 26,000 stage I or II breast cancer patients had imaging for staging and 90% of stage II patients had imaging within 3 months of diagnosis. Younger women and patients with multiple medical issues were most commonly tested.

When is a cancer patient considered “cured” after the surgery?

For cancers that return, most do so within the first 5 years after treatment. But, there is a chance that cancer will come back later. For this reason, doctors cannot say for sure that you are cured. The most they can say is that there are no signs of cancer at this time. Because of the chance that cancer can come back, your doctor will monitor you for many years and do tests to look …

How long after chemo are you considered cancer free?

When is a cancer patient considered a survivor?

Can you be cancer free after having cancer?

What is the difference between cancer remission and cancer free?

Are cancer survivors immunocompromised?

Which cancer has highest recurrence rate?

Why does cancer grow after chemotherapy?

How often do you see your oncologist after breast cancer?

What are the signs of cancer coming back?

Does cancer remission mean a patient is cured?

How likely is it for cancer to return?

What do you say when someone is cancer free?

How long does cancer stay in your body?

Still, some cancer cells can remain in your body for many years after treatment . These cells may cause the cancer to come back one day. For cancers that return, most do so within the first 5 years after treatment. But, there is a chance that cancer will come back later.

What is the stage of cancer?

The stage of the cancer, which refers to the size of the cancer and if it has spread to other parts of your body. The cancer’s grade, which refers to how abnormal the cancer cells look under a microscope. Grade provides clues about how quickly the cancer is likely to grow and spread. Certain traits of the cancer cells.

What to expect when you have cancer?

When you have cancer, you and your loved ones face many unknowns. Understanding your cancer and knowing what to expect can help you and your loved ones make decisions. Some of the decisions you may face include: 1 Which treatment is best for you 2 If you want treatment 3 How to best take care of yourself and manage treatment side effects 4 How to deal with financial and legal matters

What is cancer grade?

The cancer’s grade, which refers to how abnormal the cancer cells look under a microscope. Grade provides clues about how quickly the cancer is likely to grow and spread. Certain traits of the cancer cells. Your age and how healthy you were before cancer. How you respond to treatment.

What is cancer specific survival?

Cancer-specific survival is also called disease-specific survival. In most cases, cancer-specific survival is based on causes of death listed in medical records. Relative survival. This statistic is another method used to estimate cancer-specific survival that does not use information about the cause of death.

What does it mean to be in 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.

What is the estimate of how the disease will go for you called?

The estimate of how the disease will go for you is called prognosis. It can be hard to understand what prognosis means and also hard to talk about, even for doctors. On This Page.

Can cancer be gone forever?

That doesn’t mean your cancer is gone forever. You can still have cancer cells somewhere in your body. Regular checkups will help your doctor make sure the disease isn’t active again. When cancer does come back, it’s called recurrence. There’s no way to tell if or when that will happen.

When does cancer come back?

When cancer does come back, it’s called recurrence. There’s no way to tell if or when that will happen. This can happen weeks, months, or even years after remission.". add "If and when a cancer comes back varies greatly depending on the cancer type.

How to get rid of cancer?

Take these healthy steps to keep your cancer at bay: 1 Eat a healthy diet, with lots of fresh fruits, veggies, and whole grains. 2 Don’t smoke, or quit if you do. 3 Stay at a healthy weight. 4 Skip alcohol, or drink only moderate amounts. 5 Exercise. 6 Try to manage stress, or join a cancer survivors support group.

What are the treatments for cancer?

Surgery. Hormone therapy. Immunotherapy. Bone marrow or stem-cell therapy. You may need to combine two or more treatments to go into remission. You could have surgery to remove a tumor, then take medicine or radiation to kill cancer cells left behind. Every cancer treatment has risks and side effects.

Can radiation kill cancer cells?

You could have surgery to remove a tumor, then take medicine or radiation to kill cancer cells left behind. Every cancer treatment has risks and side effects. Some drugs and radiation can lower fertility or make it hard to get pregnant later on. Talk to your doctor to decide which treatments are right for you.

How to keep cancer from coming back?

One way is called maintenance therapy . That means you take lower doses of cancer drugs or hormones to keep the disease from coming back. You’re still in remission, and these treatments help you stay there. Eat a healthy diet, with lots of fresh fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Don’t smoke, or quit if you do.

How to keep cancer at bay?

Take these healthy steps to keep your cancer at bay: Eat a healthy diet, with lots of fresh fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Don’t smoke, or quit if you do. Stay at a healthy weight. Skip alcohol, or drink only moderate amounts. Exercise. Try to manage stress, or join a cancer survivors support group. Pagination.

Is there cancer in the body?

Officially, both mean that no cancer is currently detectable in the body. That may be based on scans, bloodwork or some other kind of test, such as a breast biopsy or a bone marrow biopsy. “Cancer-free” is a little more complicated, because it’s not based on something we can measure.

What is the most magical word in the English language?

BY Cynthia DeMarco. To a cancer patient, one of the most magical words in the English language may be “remission.”. For those fortunate enough to hear it, it imparts not only a much-hoped-for dose of good news, but also a profound sense of relief.

How long does it take for cancer to recur?

Usually by two or three months of treatment a doctor can look to see how a person’s cancer is responding. Not all cancers will recur, and if cancer cells do survive treatment it could take years before they develop into identifiable disease.

Is Jimmy Carter cancer free?

F ormer President Jimmy Carter announced that he is “cancer-free” after undergoing treatment for melanoma, which spread to his liver and his brain. On Sunday, Carter, 91, told a church group in Georgia that his physicians could not find any cancer in his scans.

How long does it take for cancer to show up on a scan?

Instead, they may say things like, “The cancer can’t be seen on the scan” or “I see no evidence of any cancer.”. Usually by two or three months of treatment a doctor can look to see how a person’s cancer is responding.

Is immunotherapy effective for cancer?

Some researchers are also looking into how to harness the knowledge gained from immunotherapy to develop cancer vaccines. Immunotherapy has proven effective for melanoma, the type of cancer for which Carter received treatment. Reuters reports that about 30% of people treated with pembrolizumab experience significant tumor shrinkage.

How does immunotherapy work?

Some treatments work by enhancing the immune system overall and other treatments specifically target cancer cells. Using the immune system as a weapon against cancer makes a lot of sense.

Can breast cancer come back?

3. Breast cancer can hide and come back years or even decades later . Understanding " No Evidence of Disease".

Is it important to plan for cancer?

More and more people are surviving cancer than ever before. Therefore, in addition to living with and managing cancer, planning your life after cancer is equally important. But you may be anxious about the future and the possibility of recurrence. It, therefore, may be a good idea to look into a survivorship program to help you get the support you need–both medical and psychological. Speak to your oncologist about such options in your area.

What does it mean to be a breast cancer survivor?

Today, the term breast cancer survivor is one that means different things to different people. Many think of it as a badge they can only wear after they are cancer-free for a number of years. Others, including those at the National Cancer Institute, say you are considered a survivor on the day that you are diagnosed and remain one throughout ...

Is breast cancer a long term survivor?

From a clinical standpoint, not all breast cancer survivors are alike. To specifically designate where someone is in their breast cancer journey, some oncologists (and breast cancer patients) use different functional terms. For example, there are people who are acute survivors (newly diagnosed) and those that are long-term survivors.

Can breast cancer grow?

Breast cancer needs time to grow. So, if a breast mass shows up on a mammogram or is detected during a monthly breast self-exam, you have already been living with it for some time. A such, surviving this period of time is what prompts many people to consider diagnosis the point at which you can be called a breast cancer survivor.

What is a long term survivor?

Long-term survivors. Includes people who have been in clinical remission for a long period of time but who remain at risk for distant relapse or second tumors. This category includes people who may experience long-term treatment-related physical or emotional side effects. Cured.

Is quality of life good?

Quality of life is usually fairly good. Long-term survivors. Includes people who have been in clinical remission for a long period of time but who remain at risk for distant relapse or second tumors. This category includes people who may experience long-term treatment-related physical or emotional side effects.