The Concept of Cure

As described in the Introduction, Cure is not a straightforward term to define. It may mean eradicating disease, achieving long-term remission, or controlling symptoms to the point where they no longer impact daily life. Because diseases manifest differently in different patients, it is impossible to set a single definition of cure that is understood by everyone in the medical community and in society at large. This complexity makes it important to be cautious about using the word cure when drafting research proposals, as it can raise expectations and create hype, which can lead to disappointment when these expectations are not met.

In clinical practice and research, it is common for specific endpoints to be defined in order to allow for comparison of outcomes. For example, in oncology a patient is considered “cured” when they do not experience any return of cancer within a certain timeframe after treatment. Similarly, in the treatment of hepatitis C virus infection, the concept of cure is defined as a sustained viral response (SVR) achieved at 24 weeks post-treatment.

Outside of the realm of medicine, the use of the term cure has a wide range of meanings, from maintenance benefits in maritime law to the payment of a worker’s medical expenses if they are injured on the job. In these contexts, the goal of curing is to restore a person’s status to the one they enjoyed before their injury or illness occurred. This sense of curing is distinct from the medical sense of cure, which focuses on the removal or reduction of symptoms and returns a person to their previous state of health.