If any cancer cells have escaped and spread before surgery or survived chemotherapy / radiotherapy treatment, there is the possibility that they can begin to grow into a tumour in the future.

This is known as recurrence, as the cells that initiate new disease are in fact left over from the old tumour.  In other words, the two are related.

Nobody can definitively tell you that your cancer is completely gone forever. On the other hand, many people never have a recurrence and live full and active lives following their treatment.  This cannot, however, be guaranteed. 

There will always be the possibility of a recurrence, although the likelihood varies. Knowledge of this is one of the things that makes cancer diagnosis so difficult to live with, and can take time to come to terms with.

It is worth remembering that a recurrence does not mean that the cancer cannot be treated successfully. This is why it is important to have regular check-ups following treatment. These become less frequent as time goes by.

You should contact your doctor straight away if you begin to feel unwell at any time between appointments. Such monitoring will help to detect any potential recurrence at the earliest possible time so that treatment can be started without delay.

03/06/2009