Prince William's wife, Duchess Kate, announced Tuesday that her cancer is in remission. But what does it mean for cancer to be in remission?
Doctors unexpectedly discovered her cancer during abdominal surgery last March. She has not disclosed the type of cancer she has or how advanced it was when it was discovered.
However, she said she was undergoing chemotherapy, which was completed in September. She told British news agency PA Media that she has a port, a small device that is implanted under the skin and connected to a catheter that goes into a large vein. This allows drugs, such as chemotherapy drugs, to be given directly into a vein in the chest, avoiding needle sticks.
Catherine told PA media that chemotherapy was “really tough”.
“I feel relieved that I am now in remission and will continue to focus on my recovery,” she wrote on Instagram.
Her announcement is “certainly good news and reassuring,” said Dr. Kimmy Ng, vice chief of gastrointestinal oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
But cancer experts like Dr. Ng say remission can mean different things to patients.
Generally, when doctors and patients talk about remission, it means there is no evidence of cancer in blood tests or scans.
The problem is that complete remission does not mean the cancer is gone. Even when cancer is “cured” (defined as no evidence of cancer for 5 years), cancer may not be defeated.
This makes life mentally difficult for patients who must frequently visit oncologists for physical exams, blood tests, and diagnostic imaging.
“It's really scary,” Dr. Ng said. “The amount of uncertainty is very tough,” she added.
However, despite the toll it takes on patients, continued monitoring is necessary.
“Different cancers have different propensities for recurrence or non-recurrence,” says Dr. Elena Ratner, a gynecologic oncologist at Yale Cancer Center.
She said 75 to 80 percent of ovarian cancers can recur within an average of 14 to 16 months after remission, depending on the stage of the cancer and the biology of the cancer when it is discovered.
“When the cancer comes back, it becomes a chronic disease,” Dr. Ratner says. She tells her patients: You will be receiving and receiving chemotherapy for the rest of your life. ”
Dr. Ratner's gynecological cancer patients must return every three months for a CT scan to constantly monitor for evidence of cancer recurrence.
“Women live from CT scan to CT scan,” she says. “They say I have a great life for two and a half months, but by the time my next CT scan the fear comes back.”
“It takes a toll on them, it takes a huge toll on them,” she said.
“As terrible as it is, I am amazed every day by their strength,” she said of her patients.
