EXCLUSIVE: Can you get cancer again even after being declared cancer-free? Possibility, causes - what expert says

By Dr Shivali Ahlawat

Cancer encompasses a wide range of illnesses characterised by the growth of aberrant cells that can invade and damage healthy tissue while dividing uncontrollably. The propensity of cancer to spread throughout the body is usually high. In addition, cancer is regarded as the second-leading cause of death worldwide. However, because of advancements in cancer detection, therapy, and prevention, survival rates are currently rising for many cancer types. But now the question is: "Is it possible for cancer to return even after being cured or proclaimed cancer-free?"

Some people think that cure means that cancer has been eliminated with treatment, no more therapy is needed, and the cancer is not expected to return. Although, a doctor can rarely assure that cancer will never come back, as it typically takes time to determine whether cancer will return or not. But, it is claimed that if a person is cancer-free for a longer duration, then there are better chances that the disease will not return. Additionally, the doctor usually says that the cancer is "in remission" rather than "cured" when treatment appears successful.

A period known as remission occurs when cancer has responded well to therapy and is under control. Remission is sometimes mistakenly thought to suggest that cancer has been cured; however, that may not always be the case.

Why do cancers come back?

The most straightforward explanation is that not every cancer cell in your body was eradicated by the prior treatment. Cancer can develop from even the smallest number of cells that were left behind over time.

There are numerous reasons why cancer may return, which are:

• The cancer cells that were not completely eliminated by the initial therapy developed into a new tumour.
• There are cancer cells that have spread to other parts of the body and have started to grow into tumours there.

Cancer recurrence indicates the return of initial cancer. It could spread to where it first appeared or to a different area of your body. Cancer retains its original area's name even if it returns or spreads to another location. For instance, breast cancer recurrence can be referred to as breast cancer that returns to your liver.

Recurrent cancers are often categorized by the extent of their dissemination and the locations where they manifest:

Local recurrence: The cancer returns in the same region as where it first appeared or very nearby.
Regional recurrence: The tumour appears in tissues or lymph nodes close to the site of the primary malignancy.
Distant recurrence: Recurrent cancer has "metastasized," or spread, to distant organs or body tissues.

Moreover, your doctor can determine if your cancer has returned by using procedures like imaging scans, lab analyses, and biopsies. Also, recurrence and second cancer are not the same things. That is brand-new cancer that appears in a different kind of cell. Your doctor can determine whether your condition is recurring or a new type using special tests. 

(Disclaimer: Dr Shivali Ahlawat is the Lab Director, Oncquest Laboratories Ltd.  The views expressed in this article are those of the author. Zee News does not confirm it.)