When does 'remission' start?

lisaemma

Hi ladies,

 I'm sure this has been discussed, but I can't find solid info about it.

I have three more weeks of radiation and I'll be done with treatment.  Very exciting!  But I'm curious...what is the proper terminology when you're done with treatment?  Do you announce yourself in 'remission'?  Do you say you finished treatment 'X' days/months ago?  Do you just consider yourself a former cancer patient? 

Perhaps this is only semantics...

hrf

Hi Lisa

Congratulations on being almost finished tx.

I don't know if there is an exact word and I think the words mean different things to different people.

I'm one of those unfortunate enough to have had bc at 2 different times so I don't think I'll ever feel secure and I know there is no cure if it returns. So I just say I finished tx. And while there is no evidence of disease (NED), I will always consider myself a cancer patient.

I'm sure others will come along and offer different interpretations. 

dlb823

Hi, Lisa ~  Yes, semantics to some degree, and also no right or wrong answer, at least to the counting part.  I also think there's a big difference between what we say to ourselves and other bc survivors, vs. what we say to family, friends & acquaintances.

In my case, when I first finished tx, I would say things like, "I'm 3 mos. post tx."  Then, as time went on, I started speaking in terms of being dx'd in 2008.  I now often say something like, "I finished tx for bc 2 years ago."  But mostly, if it comes up, I mention when I was dx'd -- probably because it seems good to me to express it as something that happened in the past.  

As far as being NED (the correct medical term), I've found that's something most people don't really want to know about in medical terms.  Most will ask if they caught it early, and my response usually is something like, yes, and I had a lot of tx, so hopefully it's gone for good!  In other words, I don't think it hurts to allude to people that the truth is this is something we live with the threat of possibly returning going forward.  But I think a long explanation about what NED vs. "in remission" means can seem overly gloomy and leave people not knowing what to say.    Deanna

SAOIsenberg

Two awesome answers here - I agree w/both, and like hrf, I'm a two-timer, second primary dx'd last June. I was sad to learn when first dx'd that there is never a declaration of remission in BC, it's only NED. But like Deanna says, that's gloomy for the general public. I have always corrected people, though, if the conversation gets to that level of detail - I can't stand all the pink and cheeriness around the BC marketing machine - I have watched good friends, young women all, die of this disease and it is unpredictable and scary.

So - I've said things like "I just finished active treatment" (when I was still on Tamoxifen), or "It's been x-years since I was first diagnosed" or "x-(weeks now) since my BMX" but I still even struggle w/the term "survivor" and often refer to myself as a woman living w/BC - although some people might take that to mean you have mets.  It really depends on my audience. I try to be patient w/everyone - and so often say something like Deanna about how I've done all I can to reduce my chances of it coming back, so knock on wood, it won't.

Congrats on being close to "done!" We all get how important those milestones are, regardless of symantics!

Sarah 

Yorkie

Hello all,

 Like most of the previous respondents, I'm a two time "winner".  I love what SAO said-- "I can't stand all the pink and cheeriness around the BC marketing machine".  I've been clear since July of 2006, and, knock on wood, I think I'm just as "cured" as the people around me.  The only difference is that I know what's likely lurking in the shadows, unlike a lot of the people who still--more than five years out--stop me and say "How is your health?"  You don't really owe them anything more than "Fine, thanks, how is yours?" And unlike some of the previous respondents, I'm not particularly patient with those people any more.  

 You're done with treatment, and that's all you need to worry about.  One day at a time.