I wanted to know what is remishion?

This term is heard very frequently. It refers to the response of a cancer to the treatment. It dose not mean that a cancer is cured.

*Complete remission refers to the situation where the disease disappears completely with the treatment.

* Partial remission refers to the situation where the disease shrinks but does not disappear completely with the treatment.

Cure means complete freedom from the cancer. To render someone cured of cancer, one has to wait and see if the cancer will ever come back. So, time is the crucial factor. If a patient remains in remission for a few years, the cancer might be cured. Certain cancers can reoccur after many years of remission.

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The status of remission is determined by a series of tests and examinations to determine whether a cancer has responded to treatment or not. Patients are examined by the medical oncologist as often as needed. The type of tests performed depend on the kind and extent of cancer. If a cancer that is seen on regular X-rays, or CT Scans, etc., they should be repeated after a while.

http://www.tirgan.com/remission.htm

Remission, as your previous respondents answered, is a good thing as it means that the cancer is in either a dormant stage or, if you're lucky, might even be slowly dying. However, you have stated that your husband's prostate cancer (PC) seems to have metastisized, or spread, to his bones. This is NOT a good sign . . . you should both consult with his oncologist and get a bone scan at the very least. I would suggest a cat scan as well. From your question I would gather that your husband has had a radical prostatectomy and that his subsequent PSA tests showed a gradual lowering of his androgen/testosterone levels. Is this correct? Then, when he went in for his "Cross Your Fingers" 3rd year test his PSA numbers had jumped, prompting his oncologist to check for metastisis . . . which you say they have found.

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I am not a Dr. and my opinions are just that, opinions. However, I do suffer from Stage III metastatic PC (for 3.75 years now) and, through my wonderful oncologist, have learned a lot about PC. My advice to you is to "Run, don't walk" to his Dr. and get this sorted out ASAP! They've been managing my PC with injections of the anti androgen, Lupron, which almost totally shuts down the bodies production of testosterone. Even the tes. that's produced by the adrenal gland which a radical surgery usually leaves in place.
I wish you and your husband the best, he is a lucky man to have a wife like you who cares so much that she has navigated the web in an effort to help him. Please let me hear from you . . . Quincy17