What Does It Mean To Have Stage 3 Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer in stage 3 has spread beyond the tumour’s immediate vicinity and may have invaded nearby lymph nodes and muscles but has not spread to distant organs. Even though this Stage is considered advanced, there are an increasing number of effective treatment options.
This Stage is divided into three sections: Stages 3A, 3B, and 3C. The size of the tumour and whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes and surrounding tissue determine the difference.
Stage 3A Breast Cancer Means One Of The Following Descriptions Applies.
Either
No actual tumour is associated with the cancerous cells, or the tumour can be any size, AND cancer is present in nearby lymph nodes (4 or more nodes, with up to 9 affected).
OR
The tumour is larger than a small lime (more than 5 centimetres), and small clusters of breast cancer cells between the size of a pinprick and the width of a grain of rice are found in the lymph nodes. (.2mm – 2.0mm.)
OR
The tumour is larger than the size of a small lime (over 5 centimetres), AND cancer has spread to one, two, or three lymph nodes under the arm or near the breastbone.
Stage 3B Breast Cancer Means The Following Descriptions Apply.
The tumour could be any size, and cancer has spread to the chest wall or breast skin, causing swelling, inflammation, or ulcers (such as with cases like inflammatory breast cancer). Breast cancer may have spread to up to nine nearby lymph nodes.
Stage 3C Breast Cancer Means One Of The Following Descriptions Applies.
Either
No actual tumour is found in the breast (as in inflammatory breast cancer cases), or the tumour can be any size. Cancer has invaded the chest wall or breast skin with evidence of swelling, inflammation, or ulcers, and cancer has also invaded ten or more lymph nodes under the arm.
OR
No actual tumour is found in the breast, or the tumour is of any size, AND cancer is discovered in lymph nodes extending to the collarbone area.
OR
No actual tumour is found in the breast, or the tumour is of any size, AND cancerous lymph nodes are discovered under the arm and near the breastbone.
Breast cancer that has been declared “inoperable” is frequently still treatable.
Stage 3C breast cancer is classified as either operable or inoperable. However, the term “inoperable” does not imply “untreatable.”
If your doctor says your breast cancer is “inoperable,” it could simply mean that a simple surgery at this time would not be enough to remove all of cancer from the breast and the surrounding tissue. When the breast is removed, it must have healthy tissue at all of its margins. Remember that breast tissue extends beyond the breast mound, up to the clavicle and down to a few inches below the breast mound. After the surgery, there must also be tissue to close the chest wound.
Before considering surgery, another treatment method may be used to shrink breast cancer as much as possible.
What Should A Person With Stage 3 Breast Cancer Expect From Treatment?
Stage 3 treatment options include mastectomy, radiation for local treatment, and hormone therapy or chemotherapy for systemic treatment. Almost every Stage 3 patient will benefit from combining two or more treatments.
Chemotherapy is always administered first to shrink the breast cancer within the breast and the affected lymph nodes. This is referred to as neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Biologic targeted therapy and immunotherapy are two other possible treatments. Several clinical trial options may be available for patients with Stage 3 breast cancer who are interested.
On April 15, 2020, a medical review will be conducted.
