What does remission mean for a 50-year-old lung cancer survivor?

Question

Hello doctor,

My father, who is 50 years old, just finished treatment for lung cancer, and his reports are now stating that he is in remission. That sounds good, but I still do not know what remission means for a 50-year-old lung cancer survivor. So, my concerns are:

Does that mean the cancer is gone for good or just not detectable at this time?
Is there a chance of it coming back later?
After remission, what kind of follow-up care is usually required?
What does remission mean to a 50-year-old lung cancer survivor?

We are happy, but also cautious, because we do not know what the term means.

Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I hope you are doing well, and I wish your father a speedy recovery.

First of all, congratulations on reaching remission, because remission itself means there has been a good response to treatment or even possibly a complete response. Remission can be partial or complete.

Partial remission means part of the tumor has regressed or decreased, while complete remission can mean there is no evidence of disease remaining.

The meaning and follow-up plan can depend on the stage of the cancer, whether it was an early-stage cancer or metastatic disease, because each stage has its own follow-up approach.

But since remission has been achieved and the doctor has reassured you, that is very encouraging. The next important step is close follow-up, often with reassessment around every six months to monitor for any recurrence or progression.

So that if anything changes, it can be addressed early.

Regarding imaging, if it were early-stage disease, follow-up may involve chest CT (computed tomography) scans, while in metastatic disease, PET (positron emission tomography) CT may be used depending on the clinical situation and the treating team’s plan.

I hope this is clear.

Congratulations again, this is positive news, and if you have any questions at any time, please feel free to ask.

Regards.