Ringing the bell after cancer treatments

[Katy]

Does ringing the bell mean someone with stage 4 colon cancer is now cancer free? Or just done with treatment? 

[TrulySusan]

At our hospital, it means done with treatment. I don’t think they generally consider a patient cancer free for 5 years.

[Pawz4me]

As far as I know most oncologists would never say that someone with Stage IV cancer is cancer free. They would be referred to as having "no evidence of disease" (NED) if nothing was showing up on the most recent scan(s) or blood work. Or at least that's the way it is with DH's type of cancer.

[katilac]

43 minutes ago, Katy said:

Does ringing the bell mean someone with stage 4 colon cancer is now cancer free? Or just done with treatment? 

 It's very varied, because it's just a tradition that every treatment center puts their own spin on. 

It does most often mean that they are done with the planned treatment, or it could mean that they are done with just a particular round of treatment - they ring the bell for that, even though more treatment is already planned. 

Some doctors use the cancer free phrasing if you've gone 5 years in remission, but a lot are moving away from it (as recurrence is always a risk). They just say there's been no evidence of disease for whatever amount of time, and they may say the chances of recurrence are very low, but cancer free is tough wording to walk back. 

I don't think any doctor would use the term for someone with Stage IV cancer, who just completed treatment. 

[Kassia]

15 minutes ago, katilac said:

 

or it could mean that they are done with just a particular round of treatment - they ring the bell for that, even though more treatment is already planned. 

 

This was just done for my friend's DH.  

[prairiewindmomma]

It means done with a particular treatment at the places we’ve been. Dd rang the bell when she finished radiation even though we all knew she was terminal (she was not an exception, it was the general rule at that facility).
 

I also agree that the current language is “no evidence of disease” rather than cancer free. 
In addition to the NED phrase, I will add that for some types of cancer, a secondary reoccurrence (often metastatic) is kind of expected x number of years down the line, or you are just kind of in a lifetime maintenance mode. As long as you are alive, you will always have periodic scans, likely need treatment for reoccurrences, etc. Having a milestone like a bell ringing can be significant for some emotionally.

[knitgrl]

I rang the bell after chemo. And a few months later, I rang the bell after radiation.

[EKS]

It means done with a specific treatment (such as radiation) at our local cancer center.

[sassenach]

There's no hard and fast rule for the bell. At our hospital, we usually offer a bell ringing after the last planned admission. Some people do it then, even though they may still have outpatient treatment planned. Others wait until they're completely done with all treatment. It's not always a straightforward thing. Some patients are there for relapse- they tend to shy away from bell ringing because they may never be cancer-free. It's a very personal decision. 

Bell-ringings are like baptisms, I cry every time.

[J-rap]

A friend of mine recently rang the bell when he was done with a long stretch of heavy treatments.  He knew he still had cancer, but they believed the grueling treatment phase was done, and that it would be easier after that.