Remission and Relapse
Remission is a period when a condition is inactive; relapse is its return.
What it means
Remission means a condition has become inactive — symptoms have gone or greatly reduced, and tests may have normalised. Relapse means it has become active again.
Remission is not cure. Cure means the condition is gone and will not return. Remission means it is quiet, and may or may not return. The distinction is often the source of a difficult conversation.
"Complete remission" means no detectable disease; "partial remission" means substantially reduced. Neither guarantees permanence.
In practice
Used in cancer, inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and inflammatory bowel disease, in multiple sclerosis, and in mental health.
Type 2 diabetes remission — normal blood glucose without medication, usually after substantial weight loss — is now a recognised and achievable goal, though it requires the weight loss to be maintained.
Why it matters
Maintenance treatment during remission is what keeps many conditions quiet. Stopping it because you feel well is one of the commonest causes of relapse, and the same is true of antidepressants stopped too early.
Recognising your own early relapse signs, and having an agreed plan for what to do about them, shortens relapses considerably.
Clinically reviewed by Dr Mohammad Zubair Khan, GMC 7563469
Last reviewed
August 30, 2026