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What is cancer remission?

By Lisa Fayed, About.com

Created: October 13, 2005

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

Question: What is cancer remission?
Answer: Cancer remission is often thought to mean that the cancer has been cured. However, this is not always true.

There are different classifications of remission - complete and partial remission.

Complete remission means that there are no signs or symptoms of cancer. This can mean the cancer has been cured, or cancer may still be present in the body.

Partial remission refers to the point when few signs and symptoms of cancer remain, however there is a noticeable decrease of cancer cells.
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