Which term describes ongoing treatment after achieving remission?

Maintenance therapy is the term that best describes ongoing treatment after achieving remission. Its primary purpose is to sustain the benefits of initial treatment, continuing to control cancer growth and preventing relapse. This approach is crucial for patients who have responded well to their initial therapy and helps to keep the cancer in check while minimizing the risk of recurrence.

Induction therapy refers specifically to the initial treatment phase aimed at inducing remission, often involving more aggressive treatment protocols. Curative therapy implies that the treatment is intended to eradicate the cancer entirely, which is not the focus of ongoing management once remission has been achieved. Supportive therapy is designed to alleviate symptoms and support the patient, but it does not address the cancer directly in terms of controlling or preventing its return.

Thus, maintenance therapy is the most accurate term for ongoing treatment efforts after a patient has reached remission, reflecting a strategy aimed at prolonging the period of being cancer-free.