Breast Cancer Awareness month - Day 19
Day 19. What is NED (no evidence of disease) and how does it differ from being 'in remission' or being 'cancer free'?
No Evidence of Disease means that the metastases are no longer detectable on an imaging scan. This is great news, but because breast cancer cells are still circulating in the body, treatment continues. 'In remission' is an older term and not usually used in metastatic breast cancer. Once you are metastatic, you are never 'cancer-free' but being NED or being stable are still the sweetest words you can hear from your oncologist.
The new treatment seems to be having an effect on my disease, based on the fact that the effusion didn't immediately return and that my white blood cell count dropped pretty dramatically after the first 21 day cycle, but there's still fluid around my lung and that fluid was tested and shows malignancy, so I am not NED.
As for being stable, I am hoping for a long Progression Free Survival (PFS) time, which is living with the cancer (and treating it) without it getting worse. It will take a few cycles of the new chemo before we see whether this is really a good option.
No Evidence of Disease means that the metastases are no longer detectable on an imaging scan. This is great news, but because breast cancer cells are still circulating in the body, treatment continues. 'In remission' is an older term and not usually used in metastatic breast cancer. Once you are metastatic, you are never 'cancer-free' but being NED or being stable are still the sweetest words you can hear from your oncologist.
The new treatment seems to be having an effect on my disease, based on the fact that the effusion didn't immediately return and that my white blood cell count dropped pretty dramatically after the first 21 day cycle, but there's still fluid around my lung and that fluid was tested and shows malignancy, so I am not NED.
As for being stable, I am hoping for a long Progression Free Survival (PFS) time, which is living with the cancer (and treating it) without it getting worse. It will take a few cycles of the new chemo before we see whether this is really a good option.
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