Re: Joan - Re: Is it true that we can never say we are cancer free like other cancers?

[Guest guest]

Hi Joan,

Actually, I believe the term that you're looking for is " remission. " I

have a friend that had a different kind of cancer and he told me that he

was in remission.

As for the " cured " after 5 years thing, he told me that after 5 years being

cancer free, he no longer was required to admit to having had cancer when

applying for insurance therefore, he could be considered cured.

Betty

At 12:24 PM -0500 12/29/2002, katiekabob wrote:

> " jdaxthelm " wrote:

>

>> Hi - and thanks in advance for any responses

>>

>> I thought I had read that - unlike other cancers - thycans can never

>> say that they are " cancer free " but should only say " cancer

>> supressed " .

>>

>> Is this true? What are the thought processes behind this statement?

>

>I think that's the conclusion that many list members have come to, in the

>search to define our situations.

>

>Most cancers are considered cured after 5 years, but as you know, thyca

>can recur just as readily in 20 years as it can in 2, and lifetime

>vigilance is required.

>I just read a scary statistic on the Genzyme web site that " as many as 35%

>of well-differentiated thyroid cancer patients experience a recurrence

>within 40 years after initial treatment, and only

>about two thirds of those recurrences happen within the first 10 years

>after therapy. "

>

>The emphasis of this statement seems to me to be a bit curious, perhaps

>slanted toward the intent of the manufacturer, which hopes to be a part of

>all of our lifetime monitoring. The sentence

>might also be phrased as " ... only 10% [1/3 of 35%] of thyroid cancer

>patients may be expected to have a recurrence after 10 years following

>therapy " .

>

>

>Back to your question ... at the risk of splitting hairs, I think the word

>to avoid is " cured " ; I'm not sure I've heard the term " cancer suppressed "

>used much. In time, we all come up with a

>phrase that feels comfortable to us. I tend to say I was treated for

>cancer, thus avoiding the " I have " v " I had " cancer question.

>

>OTOH, I don't know how many of the general population could truthfully say

>they are " cancer free " , since so many of us have cancer cells we don't

>know about, and wouldn't be discovered except in

>autopsy.

>

>Whatever you choose to say about your cancer status, you've got my support

>:-)

>

>

>-

>

>PS - recently wrote a thoughtful letter on this subject .....

>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Thyca/message/23891

>

>

>For more information regarding thyroid cancer visit www.thyca.org. If you

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>

>

>