The term “in remission” in healthcare is often used to describe a passive or inactive state of a disease. For a person living with a medical condition, this usually means going from having evident or severe symptoms to having few, mild, or no measurable signs and symptoms.

The specifics of what medical remission means depend on the diagnosis.

For example, remission from cancer may mean you have not had significant or measurable cancer signs for at least 1 month, while remission in depression often refers to the absence of impairing symptoms for at least 2 consecutive months.

Remission in rheumatoid arthritis may refer to having fewer swollen or tender joints than before, reporting lower levels of pain, or inflammation tests returning to standard levels.

Medical remission doesn’t always mean you no longer have the condition. In some cases, like in some cancer diagnoses, you may go into remission but not be 100% cancer-free.

Remission may also be partial. For example, partial remission in cancer means the tumor size or other signs of cancer have decreased by at least 50%. Full or complete cancer remission, on the other hand, means there are no detectable signs or remains of the tumor. Doctors may also call it “no evidence of disease.”

Remission may be temporary (days or months) or permanent (the rest of your life). When signs and symptoms return or intensify again, this is known as recurrence of a disease.

Being in remission isn’t the same as being disease-free or being “cured.” Medical remission refers more to a reduction in the symptoms (how you feel) and the signs (what is observable) of a disease. For example, cancer treatment may reduce the size of a tumor and relieve some symptoms (partial remission), but you would still have a cancer diagnosis.

Deciding whether you’ve gone into remission may depend on your diagnosis. In general, doctors may use the following to help reach that decision:

  • blood tests
  • imaging tests
  • tissue biopsies
  • comprehensive physical exam

Health involves mental, emotional, psychosocial, and physical aspects. That’s why a doctor may want to explore how you feel and what you perceive to be your quality of life in relation to your condition, even if your tests and images indicate you have a reduction in measurable signs.

If you have received a medical diagnosis, consider asking a healthcare professional what going into remission would mean for that condition.