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Medicine vocabulary · Treatments and Procedures

Remission

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/rɪˈmɪʃən/nounCommon term

In medicine, remission means: A period when the signs and symptoms of a disease, such as cancer or an inflammatory condition, have reduced or disappeared.

In Turkish: remisyon, hastalığın gerilemesi

How it is used

Doctors speak of complete or partial remission and say a patient 'is in remission' or 'went into remission'. It does not always mean cure: the disease can come back (relapse). Used in oncology, haematology, Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

Example sentences

  1. After six cycles of chemotherapy, her lymphoma is in complete remission.

  2. His Crohn's disease has been in remission for two years.

Common collocations

  • in remission
  • complete remission
  • partial remission
  • go into remission
  • achieve remission
  • cancerA disease in which abnormal cells grow out of control, can destroy nearby tissue and may spread to other parts of the body.
  • chemotherapyTreatment with drugs that kill cancer cells or stop them dividing, usually given in cycles with rest periods in between.
  • prognosisA doctor's opinion about how an illness is likely to develop and what the chances of recovery or survival are.
  • chronicLasting a long time, usually more than three months, or coming back again and again; used for diseases that are controlled rather than cured.

More terms: Treatments and Procedures

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.