Can Cancer Be Cured?

Cancer is currently regarded as one of the most deadly diseases in the world. But, fortunately, in many instances, it can be cured. This, however, depends on the stage and type of cancer that the person is diagnosed with and the sort of treatment they receive for it. Some cancers can be cured more easily than others, and different types of cancers need to be treated differently — there is no one size fits all cure for cancer.

Remission Versus Cure

Remission is a period of time when an individual’s cancer responds to treatment or happens to be under control. Many people mistakenly assume that remission indicates that the cancer has been completely cured, but that’s not always the case. In a state of complete remission, all the symptoms and signs of cancer go away, and the cancerous cells can’t be detected in any tests.

In a state of partial remission, the treatment manages to shrink the cancer, but the cancerous cells don’t go away. Remissions can actually last between a few weeks to years. Healthcare providers may or may not choose to continue treatment during a state of remission. Complete remissions can often last for years at a time, and the cancer can be considered cured, but a recurrence is possible.

A cure indicates that the cancer has essentially gone away with treatment. No more treatment is needed at this point, given that the cancer is not expected to recur. But keep in mind that it is pretty rare for a doctor to know with certainty that the cancer will never come back.

The longer a person manages to stay cancer-free, the better are the chances that their cancer will not return. Often, when the treatment seems to be successful, healthcare providers will say the cancer is in a “remission” state and not that it has been “cured.”

What Does It Mean to Have Survived Cancer?

Some people use the term “cancer survivor” to refer to any individual who has been diagnosed with the disease. But some use the term for people who have completed a cancer treatment course. Others may only use the term “survivor” if they’ve lived several years cancer-free after a diagnosis.