Remission vs. cure
Remission describes a state where the signs and symptoms of cancer have partly (partial remission) or completely (complete remission) decreased or disappeared, based on the tests available at the time. Cure is a stronger, retrospective claim usually only made after enough time has passed without recurrence that a return becomes unlikely — the exact time frame varies by cancer type. A patient can be in complete remission for years before anyone describes them as cured, since remission is a present-tense finding and cure is a judgment made from hindsight.