Cancer remission can be partial, complete, or spontaneous. A decrease must be observed for a month to be considered remission. Cancers in remission can also come back or recur.

Cancer remission is when the signs and symptoms of cancer have lessened or are undetectable. Being in remission is not the same as being cancer free.

There are three different types of remission:

  • Partial: A reduction of at least 50% in measurable tumor size or cancer cells.
  • Complete: All detectable evidence of cancer is gone.
  • Spontaneous: Cancer goes into remission without therapy that’s considered adequate to otherwise lead to remission. This is rare and usually happens after a fever or infection.

Remission is not a cure, and it doesn’t mean that you’re cancer free. Some cancer cells can remain even in complete remission, and these can start growing again.

Cancer remission is determined by blood tests, imaging tests, or a biopsy, depending on the type of cancer.

During treatment, your doctors will closely monitor your cancer so they can see any reduction in cancer signs. This reduction has to last for at least a month for your cancer to be considered in remission.

Because cancer cells are still in your body even when you’re in remission, you might have treatment during remission. This reduces the risk that the remaining cancer cells will start growing again.

Whether or not you have treatment during remission, your doctors will watch closely to make sure your cancer doesn’t become active again.

The most common type of treatment during remission is maintenance chemotherapy. This is chemo that’s given regularly to stop the cancer from spreading.

Maintenance therapy shouldn‘t make you feel worse. If the side effects become too much for you, talk with your doctor. They may take you off maintenance therapy.

Maintenance therapy may also become less effective over time, in which case your doctor may stop the therapy to help make sure your cancer doesn’t become resistant to chemo.

For some people, cancer remission can last a lifetime. Others may have their cancer come back, which is called a recurrence.

The chance of recurrence depends on many factors, including:

  • the type of cancer you had
  • what stage the cancer was found in
  • your overall health

There’s no way to say for sure if your cancer will come back. However, cancers that were diagnosed in later stages or cancers with lymph node involvement are more likely to recur.

The outlook depends on the cancer type.

The most common statistic you’ll see is a 5-year or 10-year survival rate, which is the percentage of people with that type of cancer who are still alive 5 or 10 years after diagnosis.

If the 5-year relative survival rate for a certain cancer is 20%, it means those who have that cancer are about 20% as likely to live 5 years after diagnosis as people who don’t have that cancer.

A relative survival rate compares people with the same type and stage of cancer with people in the overall population.

These statistics don’t consider whether someone is in remission or undergoing treatment, so it’s not the same as being in remission.

Since remission doesn’t mean you’re cured, these statistics provide an idea of the outlook for that type of cancer.

The outlook for the five most common types of cancers are:

  • Non-small cell lung cancer: The 5-year relative survival rate for all stages combined, according to the American Cancer Society, is 28%. The relative survival rate is 65% for localized lung cancer and 9% for distant.
  • Breast cancer: The 5-year relative survival rate is 91% for all stages combined. The survival rates for breast cancer are higher if the cancer is found at an earlier stage and lower if the cancer is found in later stages.
  • Colorectal cancer: The 5-year relative survival rate for all stages combined is 63%. The rate for localized colorectal cancer is 91%, 73% for regional, and 13% for distant.
  • Prostate cancer: For males with localized or regional prostate cancer, the 5-year survival rate is greater than 99%. The 5-year survival rate of distant prostate cancer is 34%.
  • Stomach cancer: The 5-year relative survival rate for all stages is 36%. This rate is 75% for localized stomach cancer and 7% for distant.

Regardless of cancer type, early detection of recurrence is very important. If found early, local recurrences may be curable.

A distant recurrence is less likely to be cured, but early detection can help stop it from spreading further.

If you’re in remission, a doctor should regularly check for new signs of cancer.

Supporting your overall health is the best way to reduce your risk of a recurrence or a second cancer. This means:

Cancer remission doesn’t mean your cancer is cured, but it’s an important milestone. In some cases, your cancer may never come back. In others, it may recur.

Even in remission, it’s important to follow all of your doctor’s instructions and monitor any potential cancer symptoms closely.