Theres no way for doctors to know that all of the cancer cells in your body are gone which.
How long are you considered a cancer patient. Counselling and support services can help address many fears worries or conflicting emotions. Learn about late and long-term effects of cancer treatment so that you can take more control of your health as a cancer survivor. Cancer-specific survival is also called disease-specific survival.
In many cases the recommended frequency of these visits is already considered a range eg. For example certain types of skin cancer can be diagnosed initially just by visual inspection though a biopsy is necessary to confirm the diagnosis. Theres no way to tell how long a remission will last so remission does not mean the cancer definitely has been cured.
It is a mistake for any cancer patient to think that they are cured of their cancer until at least five years have passed without any sign of a recurrence of cancer. To qualify as either type of remission the absence of tumor or reduction in the size of the tumor must last for at least one month. Treatment can last for anywhere from 3 to 6 months.
When cancer does come back its called recurrence. The period of time may be 1 year 2 years 5 years etc with 5 years being the time period most often used. 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 the rest of your life.
Palliative care can also help if you are experiencing depression or anxiety due to your cancer diagnosis. For both types of remission the decrease or absence of cancer signs must last for at least one month. In cancers of the testis Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma and leukemias length of chemotherapy treatment may be up to a year.
If you underwent cancer treatment as a child you may be at risk of many of the same late side effects of treatment as people who were adults during their cancer treatments. 1 There are also people who avoid using the term altogether. More information about hospice can be found below in the Related Resources section of this fact sheet.