My cancer is in remission – what does this mean?

[AussieNeil]

"In the 1970s, only one cancer patient in three made it through the first five years after diagnosis. Today, this figure is around 70%, and exceeds 85% for some cancers that were previously fatal.

So, remission might mean cure but we only know that over time."

So concludes Ian Olver, Director, University of South Australia Cancer Research institute, University of South Australia in this article, where he explains how we determine whether cancer has been cured: theconversation.com/my-canc...

So much for claims by some in our society that modern treatments do not cure cancer!

Of particular relevance to us with respect to Richter's Transformation: "A person diagnosed with an aggressive lymphoma whose cancer achieves remission is most likely to have been cured if the cancer has not returned in two years. This is because any residual lymphoma would be expected to regrow rapidly."

After reading this article, you can appreciate that with CLL being a slow growing cancer, CLL specialists are reluctant to say that those treated with FCR and who have experienced remissions lasting in excess of 7 years are cured. This is despite the encouraging news that FCR patients with 'mutated status' CLL exceeding 7 years remission aren't experiencing relapses.

With respect to solid tumors, "Chemotherapy, hormone therapy (for breast cancer) or both are given to kill any cells that might have escaped to more distant sites. Although we can’t see the cancer shrinking with the additional (adjunct) treatment, we know from trials comparing patients who receive additional treatment with those who do not that the additional treatment results in more patients being cured."

This is particularly pertinent to the case of Chris Wark, who had bowel cancer surgery, refused the offered adjunct/adjuvant chemotherapy to mop up missed cancer cells, and claimed dietary changes cured his cancer. He just refused the slight improvement in his survival chances that chemotherapy would have provided.

Neil

[Wroxham]

Neil

Do you have lots of these walkways?

Remission!! I would love a 7 year break.

Hopefully this time.

Sue

[AussieNeil Administrator in reply to Wroxham]

Australia has one of the longest coastlines in the world, (though Canada's dwarfs every other country). It sure would be a great 'Bucket list" entry to walk all of Australia's coastal walkways, better yet, the world's!

This walkway is special to me because it starts from a beach which I regularly visited as a child and I remember walking along the cliff face with my mother and siblings at low tide, when it was passable. I took this photo while walking the full length of it for the first time while accompanied by my fiancé. The gully crossings remind me of the ups and downs of living with CLL, so you may recall seeing other photos I have shared from my walks along this spectacular coastal cliff walk.

Neil

[Wroxham in reply to AussieNeil]

Thanks Neil. Spectacular views.

Sue