Cure is a medical term that describes the removal of a disease or condition. It also represents the restoration of health and a return to a previous state of normality. For many people, the word cure is a very powerful concept because it can bring hope and rekindle dreams. However, for some, the word creates confusion because it doesn’t always mean a complete eradication of the disease.
A common example of confusion is a person who is treated for appendicitis and doctors remove it. Often, patients and their families believe that the doctor has cured them. But in reality, the cancer may still come back and cause new symptoms or even death.
Another example is someone who is diagnosed with hemophilia and treated with a blood substitute. The treatment can help reduce the severity of bleeding episodes and minimize complications. It can also normalize clotting factor levels, allowing the patient to live without the need for prophylactic treatment. However, it is important to understand that a medical review may determine that a patient has reached maximum medical improvement (MMI), which does not necessarily imply that the patient has been fully cured of their hemophilia.
Because cure is so difficult to define in a medical context, it can be misunderstood. Incongruent uses of the term can lead to misunderstandings and unrealistic hopes, particularly in discussions about gene therapies and other innovative treatments. These considerations suggest that a more cautious use of the term is needed to avoid creating unnecessarily high expectations for future therapies and generating public frustration with inconsistently defined endpoints.
About the Author
