What Is Leukemia Remission? Roman Reigns Returns, Reactions Pour In

Roman Reigns – real name Joe Anoa’i – returned to World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) Monday Night Raw airing on Feb. 25, five months after announcing he was stepping away after being re-diagnosed with Leukemia.

The 33-year-old relinquished his Raw Universal title in order to get treatment and at the time made it clear he will fight hard to get back into the squared circle as soon as possible. Reigns returned to the ring Monday night and confirmed that his Leukemia is now in remission, which gives him clearance to return to in-ring competition with immediate effect.

"I said I was going to swing for the fences. We did better than that, y'all. We didn't just swing for the fences. We hit a home run. So when I tell you this, I'm so grateful and so humbled and so honored to announce this," Reigns said on Monday Night Raw. "The good news is, I'm in remission, y'all. So with that being said, the Big Dog is back!"

What is remission?

Remission simply means a decrease in or disappearance of signs and symptoms of cancer from your body. There are two types of remission – partial and complete, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Partial remission means that not all cancer cells have disappeared from the body – it could simply mean the tumor has gotten smaller or you have fewer cells throughout your body. It may also allow the patient to stop taking regular treatment as long as cancer does not begin to grow again.

Complete remission, on the other hand, indicates via physical tests and scans that all signs of cancer have dissipated from the patient’s body. It does not mean the person is cured – but doctors refer to complete remission as "no evidence of the disease" in the patient’s body.

When it comes to Leukemia – the treatment aims to achieve remission. That means: “no leukemic cells can be found in the blood or bone marrow and the bone marrow is working normally again. In people treated for acute leukemia, remission may last many years, and then they are considered cured,” according to Health Talk.

Reigns left the WWE Universe in shock when he announced his battle with Leukemia for the past 11 years and at the time he received the support of every pro-wrestler. And the reaction was one of jubilation after it was confirmed that the former Universal champion will return to action after entering remission.