Stage 3 breast cancer is cancer that started in the breast and has spread to nearby lymph nodes. Overall, a person’s chance of surviving for 5 years after this diagnosis is around 86%, but this depends on many factors.
The type and grade of the cancer, the treatment type and response, and various individual factors can all affect someone’s outlook.
Doctors describe breast cancer as stage 3 in any of the following situations:
- A tumor is present, and cancer has spread to many lymph nodes.
- A tumor is larger than 5 centimeters (cm), and cancer has spread to any lymph nodes.
- The cancer is growing into nearby tissues such as the breast wall.
At stage 3, the cancer has not spread to distant organs.
Receiving a stage 3 cancer diagnosis can be distressing, but life expectancy and treatments are improving all the time.
This article examines survival rates for stage 3 breast cancer, as well as treatment options, remission, and how to cope with the diagnosis.
A note about sex and gender
Sex and gender exist on spectrums. This article will use the terms “male,” “female,” or both to refer to sex assigned at birth. Click here to learn more.
An individual’s life expectancy depends on various factors besides breast cancer stage.
Some life expectancy measures assess the size of present tumors and how far the cancer cells have spread. However, advancements in tumor biology have changed life expectancy calculations.
Staging system
The current, eighth edition of the
The current staging system measures a person’s estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status. Doctors describe a tumor as “triple-negative” if it does not have any of these receptors.
Factors that affect a person’s outlook and life expectancy include:
- physical cancer stage
- ER and PR levels in the tumor tissue
- HER2 levels in the tumor tissue
- whether the tumor tissue is triple-negative
- pace of tumor growth
- likelihood that cancer will recur
ER and PR can bind to hormones in the body and use them to grow. If a person’s cancer cells have these receptors, doctors refer to the cancer as “ER-positive” or “PR-positive.”
The HER2 gene produces HER2 receptors, which control how breast cells grow. High levels of HER2 mean that breast cells will grow and divide in an uncontrolled way.
The results of a
This deeper understanding of cancer severity means medical professionals can diagnose
Racial and ethnic disparities
A
The study found that Black and Hispanic women with breast cancer had lower survival rates than white women with breast cancer.
Potential reasons for this include a higher likelihood of aggressive forms of cancer and diagnosis at a later stage among Black and Hispanic women.
Read more about Black women and breast cancer.
Understanding life expectancy
According to the
Survival rates are guideline figures that experts calculate using large sample sizes. These rates cannot accurately predict an individual’s life expectancy but can offer an indication.
Also, a study that tracks survival rates over 5 years will reflect the state of medical knowledge 5 years earlier. This means that cancer survival rates may be better than the statistics indicate.
At the time of this writing, the most current statistics reflect results from
To get a more accurate life expectancy estimate, a person should consult a doctor.
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the relative survival rate for females with stage 3 breast cancer over a 5-year period is about
A 5-year relative survival rate is a measure of a person’s chance of living 5 years after their cancer diagnosis compared with a person who does not have breast cancer.
Medical professionals typically use the
However, each person’s survival rate will be different, and these stages do not account for many of the factors that affect a person’s breast cancer.
The SEER stages are:
- Localized: A cancerous tumor is present, but it has not spread beyond the original site.
- Regional: The cancer has spread beyond the original location to lymph nodes.
- Distant: The cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
According to the
| SEER stage | 5-year relative survival rate |
|---|---|
| localized | 99.6% |
| regional | 86.7% |
| distant | 31.9% |
The relative survival rate for all stages of breast cancer combined is 91.2%.
Stage 3 breast cancer has spread outside the breast but not to distant sites. The cancer is typically in nearby lymph nodes or skin.
Stage 3 breast cancer
- hormone receptivity
- cancer grade
- cancer type
- the person’s overall health and preferences
- menstruation status
A doctor can help someone better understand the cancer stage and how it will affect their treatment options and outlook.
Healthcare professionals further divide stage 3 breast cancer into the following substages:
Stage 3A
For stage 3A breast cancer, either of the following scenarios applies:
- There may be no tumor, or there may be a tumor of any size in the breast tissue. In addition, the cancer is in four to nine axillary lymph nodes, which are in the armpits, or in the lymph nodes near the breastbone.
- The tumor is larger than 5 cm, and cancer is present in up to three nearby lymph nodes under the arm or near the breastbone.
Stage 3B
A doctor will diagnose stage 3B breast cancer when tumors of any size are present and cancer cells are in the breast wall or near the breast skin. A person may experience swelling or ulcers in these areas.
Stage 3B breast cancer may have spread to the lymph nodes near the breastbone or may be present in up to nine axillary lymph nodes.
Stage 3C
Stage 3C breast cancer may have a tumor of any size or no tumor at all, but the cancer will be present in the chest wall or the breast skin.
Cancer will have spread to one of the following areas:
- 10 or more axillary lymph nodes
- the lymph nodes reaching up to the collarbone
- the lymph nodes under the arm and those near the breastbone
These days, people with breast cancer can know more about the tumor than ever before.
In addition to a tumor’s stage, oncologists can determine its grade and subtype. This information helps the doctor describe the tumor and cancer stage in more detail so that other members of the care team can better understand the cancer.
The tumor grade and subtype of breast cancer
Doctors define different types of stage 3 breast cancer by:
- Tumor grade: This measures how much the cancer cells differ from healthy cells under a microscope and how quickly the cancer cells are likely to grow.
- ER status: This describes whether the cancer cells have receptors for the hormone estrogen.
- PR status: This indicates whether the cancer cells have receptors for the hormone progesterone.
- HER2 status: This describes whether the cancer cells are making the HER2 protein.
TNM staging system
The AJCC oversees a tumor, node, and metastasis (TNM)
The TNM staging system assesses the anatomic structure of a breast cancer and describes the following:
- T (tumor): This number indicates the size or extent of the tumor and how much breast tissue is involved. A higher “T” grade means a larger tumor or more tissue involvement. The categories are as follows:
- TX: Doctors cannot assess the tumor.
- T0: There is no evidence of a primary tumor.
- Tis: This is carcinoma in situ, which means the cancer is not invasive.
- T1 to T4: This number describes how large or dense the tumor is and how much nearby tissue it involves.
- N (nodes): This indicates whether the cancer has spread to lymph nodes. The higher the “N” number, the more lymph nodes the cancer affects. The categories are as follows:
- NX: Doctors cannot assess lymph node involvement — for example, because lymph nodes were removed.
- N0: Doctors cannot find evidence that the cancer has spread to lymph nodes.
- N1 to N3: This number indicates how many lymph nodes the cancer affects or how far the lymph node involvement has spread.
- M (metastasis): This describes whether the cancer has spread beyond the original site. The categories are as follows:
- M0: There is no evidence that the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body.
- M1: There is evidence that the cancer has spread.
Doctors may use this anatomic information alongside biologic assessment of ER, PR, and HER2 levels. These two systems provide
Learn how breast cancer spreads.
Treatment of stage 3 breast cancer
Drug-based treatments
Doctors may suggest neoadjuvant treatment, which involves reducing the size of the tumor, usually with drug-based therapies, so that surgeons can safely remove it.
Some people may have adjuvant treatment, which involves receiving chemotherapy or another drug-based treatment after surgery to prevent any cancer cells that have shed from the original tumor from spreading.
Drug-based treatments can include:
- chemotherapy
- targeted cancer drugs
- hormone therapy
- immunotherapy
- a combination of the above
Chemotherapy involves destroying cancer cells with anticancer drugs. There are
- increased risk of infection
- bruising and bleeding
- hair loss
- nausea
- oral issues, such as mouth sores
- skin and nail changes
- problems with memory and concentration
- menopause symptoms
- fatigue
Learn more about the side effects of chemotherapy.
Surgery
If drug treatments do not shrink a large tumor enough, a doctor
A person may wish to have reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy or lumpectomy. However, some people may opt out of reconstructive surgery.
For example, a
After surgery, a person
If the tumor is small enough, a doctor may recommend surgery first, followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Some types of breast cancer respond to hormone therapy, in which case the doctor will often prescribe hormone therapy for 5 or more years after the initial treatment is complete.
Remission is when symptoms of cancer completely or almost completely disappear. Remission
In partial remission, some cancer has disappeared after treatment. Complete remission means doctors can detect no sign of cancer.
Remission does not necessarily mean that there is no cancer in a person’s body, only that the doctor cannot detect any. It is not possible for doctors to be sure that all cancer cells are gone or that the cancer will not grow to detectable levels in the future.
Most cancers that return do so within 5 years. Doctors may refer to someone’s cancer as “cured” if the cancer does not return within 5 years.
Learn more about cancer remission.
Stage 3 breast cancers are either
If a doctor says the tumor is inoperable, that does not mean it is not treatable — rather, it means that surgery will not yield the desired results at this time.
For breast cancer surgery to be successful, doctors need to remove enough tissue while leaving behind healthy tissue at all the margins. If a tumor is too large or dense for that, the tumor is inoperable.
However, neoadjuvant chemotherapy may help shrink the breast cancer tumor so that it becomes operable.
Significant physical and psychological changes can occur during breast cancer treatment. For example, the side effects of cancer and chemotherapy
After a mastectomy, people
For some people, long-term hormone therapy can have ongoing side effects, including:
- fatigue
- changes in memory and mood
- menopause symptoms
Even after remission, a person
Coping with breast cancer
Despite ongoing improvements in detection and treatment, many people experience fear or trauma after a cancer diagnosis.
People may have a wide range of emotions after a breast cancer diagnosis. Each person’s response is
People may find it helpful to speak with others with similar diagnoses. A doctor may be able to recommend support groups.
People may also wish to avoid overexertion and take time for themselves.
The Bezzy Breast Cancer app provides people with access to an online breast cancer community where they can connect with others and gain advice and support through group discussions.
Other online communities also provide a safe place for discussion, and a person may be able to find local support groups in their community.
A therapist can also help someone manage stress and anxiety during treatment and recovery.
Life expectancy and survival rates for stage 3 breast cancer are improving all the time. The current 5-year relative survival rates for stage 3 breast cancer are 86% for females and 84% for males.
However, many factors can influence a person’s life expectancy after a breast cancer diagnosis. A doctor can provide more detailed, personalized information.
People can also speak with a doctor for more resources to help them cope with breast cancer, including support groups and counseling.