Monitoring the cancer throughout treatment is an important part of a child’s health journey. There are several terms that doctors may use to describe changes found during this process of tracking your child’s health and their response to treatment. It is our privilege at the Pediatric Head & Neck Cancer Foundation to provide insights you can trust on what terms like “progression” or “recurrence” mean. After all, while we advocate for increased funding and better research and treatment for childhood HN cancers, one of the most rewarding aspects of our organization is our platform and capacity to share credible information that empowers those most affected by a cancer diagnosis.

Progression

During your child’s regular tests and scans, doctors may find the cancer is progressing, actively advancing, or getting worse. This can mean different things:

  • The cancer is growing bigger.
  • The cancer is metastasizing or spreading to other parts of the body and new areas.
  • The cancer is no longer responding to treatment.
  • The treatment may be actively causing additional damage or complications.

Progression is a complex process. It indicates that cancer cells are evolving and becoming more aggressive with the passage of time due to genetic mutations or other changes that help the cancerous cells to survive and even thrive. While the current treatment may no longer be effective, do not be discouraged. Different approaches, therapies, and dosages may be enlisted to manage the cancer and improve your child’s quality of life.

Recurrence

Sometimes, cancers do come back or recur after treatment. When this happens, more tests and diagnostics may be ordered to understand better the extent of the recurrence, which also informs recommendations for the next steps. It’s important to note:

  • Recurrence can occur where the cancer first originated.
  • Recurrence can also occur in other locations or parts of the body beyond the site of origin.
  • A tumor can grow back weeks, months, or even years following successful treatment and remission.
  • Recurrence also differs from progression, as the latter term refers to cancers that were never fully gone, and the cancerous cells that are left behind later grow or spread.
  • Recurrence does not apply to another new and unrelated type of cancer, which would be referred to as a “secondary primary cancer.”

Some types of cancers are also more likely to return than others. Regardless of your unique and specific situation, it is important not to view this as a crippling setback. Respect your feelings of shock, anger, despair, and fear. Be open with your child and the whole family when discussing those emotions and retaining a support system. Prioritize your family’s well-being while focusing on promising treatment options with your child’s care team. Never lose hope for curing or managing the disease.