Richard_Iv
Taken from the NCI article cited below. Perhaps the article and video linked will help your dad.
"Understanding the Difference Between Cure and Remission
Cure means that there are no traces of your cancer after treatment and the cancer will never come back.
"Remission means that the signs and symptoms of your cancer are reduced. Remission can be partial or complete. In a complete remission, all signs and symptoms of cancer have disappeared.
"If you remain in complete remission for 5 years or more, some doctors may say that you are cured. Still, some cancer cells can remain in your body for many years after treatment. These cells may cause the cancer to come back one day. For cancers that return, most do so within the first 5 years after treatment. But, there is a chance that cancer will come back later. For this reason, doctors cannot say for sure that you are cured. The most they can say is that there are no signs of cancer at this time.
"Because of the chance that cancer can come back, your doctor will monitor you for many years and do tests to look for signs of cancer’s return. They will also look for signs of late side effects from the cancer treatments you received.
"Video Series
This video series offers the perspectives of three cancer patients and their doctor. The videos explain key points about prognosis and how doctors and patients can talk about it in a clear and supportive way. Two viewer guides are also available: for patients (PDF-210KB) and for provider care teams (PDF-210KB)." more at link below.
www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/prognosis
Richard, over the past 3 years I have "been in " Remission 5 times. My remission periods have not lasted long before I am again "out of" remission, and again "with" cancer. I find that even "remission" may be to strong a word. More properly, it seems, NED (No Evidence of Disease) may be the most accurate term. Moderation and maintaining a healthful lifestyle can only help dealing with cancer.
Best to you and your father.
Jack