You have completed your cancer treatment and are ready to move on with your life. You’ve gotten used to seeing your doctor less often and things are getting back to normal. You thought that you have just survived the biggest battle of your life but now the doctor tells you it is not over yet---- you haven’t won the battle yet. Cancer has returned.
What is cancer recurrence?
Cancer recurrence is defined as the return of cancer after treatment and after a period of time during which the cancer cannot be detected. The same cancer may come back where it first started or somewhere else in the body. For example, breast cancer may return in the area of the breast or it may come back in other parts of the body, such as lung, liver, chest, etc.
What are the types of recurrence?
There are different types of cancer recurrence:
Local recurrence: cancer has come back in the same place it first started.
Regional recurrence: cancer has come back in the lymph nodes near the place it started.
Distant recurrence: cancer has come back in another part of the body, such as lungs, liver, bone, etc.
Could I have done something to assure that cancer will never come back?
Doctors usually suggest you to eat right, exercise, and have follow-up review regularly to prevent cancer recurrence. However, please understand that there is nothing you could have done to make sure the cancer would never come back. You can lower the risk of having cancer back by boosting your immunity and keeping a positive attitude but there is no guarantee that cancer will never come back.
What does it mean if the doctor says “The cancer is controlled” “The condition is stable”?
When a doctor tells you that the cancer is controlled, it shows that the cancer is not changing overtime. “Controlled” means that the tumor does not appear to be growing.
Another way of defining control would be calling that the condition is stable. Some tumors can stay the same size because of the cancer treatment and are watched to be sure that they don’t start growing again.
Why won’t the doctor say “ You’re cured”?
Most doctors avoid using the word “cure” because it means that cancer is gone forever. However, even with our current knowledge of how cancer develops and grows, it is still a mystery in many ways and impossible to guarantee cancer will never come back. Doctor may continue to watch you closely for many years and do tests to watch for any signs of cancer recurrence.
Treating cancer recurrence
Many people want to do every possible thing in order to treat cancer recurrence and find more cancer options. Be sure that you understand each treatment option and how effective each one is likely to be according to your individualized condition.
Treating cancer recurrence
Many people want to do anything possible to treat cancer recurrence and find more cancer options. Aside from chemotherapy and radiotherapy, other options are also available to cancer recurrence, including cryotherapy, microwave ablation, combined therapy of Chinese medicine and western medicine. Be sure that you understand each treatment option and how effective each one is likely to be according to your individualized condition.
Treatment decisions are based on:
When it recurs
Where it recurs
How much it has spread
Your overall health
Your personal values and wishes
The same procedure may have different outcomes due to patient’s physical condition, size of tumor, stage, etc. If you need information quickly about what cancer options you have, please contact us directly through online consultation.
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