At some point after starting treatment for CLL you may experience a remission. Remission means that no signs of CLL progression can be detected any more, and symptoms that were troubling you may have subsided. In some treatment regimens, treatment is received until relapse. This means that a patient needs to continue the same treatment, despite remission. In other regimens, treatment is received for a specific period of time. Thus, if remission is achieved after the completion of the treatment regimen, no other treatment is needed. In any case, the phase of remission requires “active monitoring” with regular appointments and medical exams in order to ensure that remission remains.
Achieving remission can be a relief and bring positivity. However, being in remission can also entail worries and uncertainty regarding the future.